Why Would You Care, Uchiha Boy?
by SugarCoatedLotus31
Summary: She showed her cold side to him. He showed her soft side to her. Nobody else knows about this. It's their little secret. They share the same pain, just not the same ideas.
1. Chapter 1

**Story rated T for now, will change later if I decide to add certain things...  
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><p><em>Why do I live? Why do I stay? Why do I make myself suffer?<em>

Hinata stared out of the window in her dungeon of a room. These thoughts always managed to creep into her mind. She tried to push them away, to procrastinate from answering those depressing thoughts. This time, it was inevitable. Hinata had to answer them before someone else did.

_What's the point?_

Bland. Everything seemed bland to her. What she saw, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt. Her thoughts? Pessimistic. If someone else told her why, Hinata would be angry at herself. She **hated **when people decided things for her. Independence, stripped away from her. 'Stop judging me.'

_Naruto-kun..._

The person that Hinata admired and respected was the answer. He gave her hope, inspiration... and to some extent, happiness. She wanted to be strong like him, but she wasn't strong. She was quick; quick to run away. Hinata hated hope sometimes. It was hope that brought her pain, hope that gave her the foolish thought that she could be the ideal daughter for Hiashi Hyuuga.

She never called Hiashi Hyuuga her 'Father' or 'Dad', he was nothing more to her than Hiashi Hyuuga - the man that disapproved of her existence. She never even considered herself to be a member of the Hyuuga clan, just some girl that happened to live there and be related to them.

_But thanks to hope, I'm able to have self-confidence to get stronger, and then maybe I'll finally be good enough..._

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><p>Hinata's thoughts were interrupted as a knock made its way to her bedroom door. It was so easy to tell who the person was just by the feel of the knock. The anger in it, mixed with a certain kind of coldness that could only belong to Neji Hyuuga. He didn't hate Hinata anymore, but it just irked him to be in the main house of the Hyuuga clan.<p>

"Come in," Hinata told him, shutting the window with a slam.

"Hinata-sama, I-"

"Stop calling me 'Hinata-sama'. You know just as well as I do that I don't deserve that title," Hinata firmly told Neji.

A silence fell upon the room. Neji was astonished that Hinata confronted him like that. He was so used to the kind, stuttering, shy, quiet cousin that was unfit to be the Hyuuga heiress. Although what Hinata said was true, Neji knew that something was wrong. He didn't dare to bring it up, though. Maybe her confidence was finally blooming.

"I came to tell you that Hiashi-sama wants you to see him in his office at 3:00," Neji informed, breaking the silence.

"A.M. or P.M?" Hinata asked.

"P.M." Neji answered, sad that she asked a question like that.

The question was perfectly reasonable, as Hiashi would also schedule meetings at crazy hours like 3 A.M. It was just the fact that Hiashi _did _schedule meetings at 3 A.M. and expected Hinata to be there on the dot. Such a cruel 'father' he was. Hinata sighed, glancing out the window to check the time via the sundial outside. Only 11:19.

"Ano... O-okay... I'll be taking a walk until then," Hinata said to her cousin.

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><p>Both Hyuugas walked out of Hinata's room, going their separate ways as soon as they could. Although the two were both exiting the house, they exited at a different door from the other. Neji returned to the Hyuuga's lower branch house and Hinata made her way towards the training grounds that were near the river. Her earlier thoughts were instantly erased from her mind. When she arrived, she noticed that someone was already there. She shrugged it off, walking to the river.<p>

_Who would notice someone like me, anyways?_

Hinata stared at her reflection in the crystal clear water, though glare would be a more accurate term. Words can not describe the fury that burst through her at the sight of herself. She loathed who she was: a weak, socially-awkward, rich girl that nobody would ever care about. Way below average in every way possible. She kicked the water, sending a loud splash throughout the river, in a futile attempt to avoid what she is.

However, the water turned to its original state seconds later, with ripples of the splash still vibrating on the water's surface and the bottom of her pants now wet. Her sudden fit was quelled, and the Hyuuga girl was once again eye to eye with herself. The rage in her pale, lavender eyes was relaxed, bringing upon the usual lifeless look. It was useless, she couldn't run away from herself. She fell to her knees, completely giving up.

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><p>"Tch, what's with you?" Sasuke indifferently remarked, stopping his training.<p>

"Why would _you_ care, Uchiha boy?" Hinata snapped, turning towards Sasuke, too irritated by him to remember her stutter.

Sasuke was surprised that a girl his age didn't immediately swoon over him. In fact, he was surprised that she just called him 'Uchiha boy' instead of 'Sasuke-kun' or something. He was so used to being called by his name in an annoying flirtatious tone. Plus, the only reason she knew he was an Uchiha was because of the large uchiwa fan on the back of his dark blue, collared shirt.

"That doesn't answer my question, Hyuuga girl," Sasuke replied.

"That doesn't either, Uchiha boy," Hinata responded.

"I asked first."

"Why is my answer so important to you?"

_Damn, this girl has a sharp tongue._

The wind flowed, causing a soft rustle from the trees' leaves. A silence placed a gap in the conversation. Birds chirped and flew away from where the Hyuuga and Uchiha were, as if sensing the growing tensity. The Uchiha was at at a loss for words.

"Born into a powerful clan, and your father has high expectations that you can't reach. Compared to your sibling, always being nagged about how you should be like your sibling. You have no real friends, and everyone is your enemy, even yourself. Your mother is purposely killed in front of you, and you're scarred for life and you want to avenge her death. You can't because you're not strong enough and probably never will be strong enough. You are always labeled as 'weak' by this man. The worst part is, that man was supposed to be someone that you loved and looked up to. You're related to this despicable man, which makes everything even worse. Tell me, whose life did I just describe?" Hinata asked, boldly breaking the awkward silence.

_Might as well answer the boy's question... _

"Mine's..." Sasuke answered, shocked that Hinata knew his life history so well.

Hinata raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Apparently, ours."

Sasuke became speechless. There was actually someone who completely understood him. She didn't even _try _to understand him, too.

"And that's what is with me, Uchiha boy," Hinata coldly concluded, standing up and leaving the training site.

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><p><em>Wait, don't leave...<em>

Sasuke was silently begging Hinata to continue their conversation. He let her slip through his fingers, letting her get farther and farther from him. He didn't even know her name. All he knew was that she belonged to the Hyuuga clan since she had the pale, cold eyes that ran in the family. That first sentence that she spoke to him rang throughout his mind.

_"Why would _you_ care, Uchiha boy?" Why _do _I care? Because she understands my pain? Or because she's not like the other girls? Why do I care so much?_

Questions flooded the boy's mind. Sasuke _wanted _to _talk _to a _girl. _Has the world gone mad? Sasuke was half-expecting to wake up from this insane dream, only he didn't. Sasuke Uchiha was facing reality.

Although he had many questions about the girl, he knew one thing was certain. He had to see her again. An anger surged throughout him as Sasuke thought about what happened.

_I'm sorry! Damn it, why do I have to be mean to the people I give a crap about!_

The Uchiha took out that anger on some innocent and unfortunate trees. Hinata, on the other hand, found it interesting that the Uchiha had a similar childhood.

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><p><em>He knows my pain, huh? Why do I stay in this village if pain like that is so prone to children?<em>

She sighed, remembering the answer that she came up with earlier.

_Naruto-kun... You always went against the odds, and still won. Determination and self-confidence... I want to catch up to you, Naruto-kun._

Hinata smiled to herself. He was the one that believed in her at the Chuunin Exams when everyone else told her to quit. She still lost the battle against Neji, but that battle inspired her to never give up. He inspired her to be a better person. Which is why she'll train herself to be strong enough to avenge her mother.

The warm sun shined its rays on the young Hyuuga girl, a breeze accompanying the rays. The wind brushed against the bottom of Hinata's pants, cooling them while the sun warmed them. Hinata sighed, seeing that it was only 11:39 now. Her plans of sulking near the river in her favorite spot were ruined.

_What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be sulking! I should be training like that Uchiha boy was._

She walked towards the other training grounds nearby. Hinata took out ten shuriken from her weapons pouch. She aimed them all, one by one, directly at the target in front of her, trying to hit the bulls-eye in the middle. Only two of the shuriken hit the bulls-eye, the others around it.

_Should I have told my life story to that Uchiha boy? Oh well, it's not like I'll ever see him again. _

"Hinata!" Kiba called out, waving to her with Akamaru by his side.

Hinata's heart jumped. She was surprised by the sudden noise, too busy on her thoughts to notice that her teammate was on the training grounds with her.

"K-kiba-kun... Y-you scared me," Hinata said, facing the dog-lover.

"Ahaha, sorry... Why are you wet?" Kiba asked, noticing the Hyuuga's pants were soaked.

"O-oh, well I w-was at the river e-earlier," Hinata answered.

"Oh, okay. Well I was gonna grab a bite, wanna come?" Kiba offered.

"Ano... Th-thanks, but I-I already ate," Hinata kindly denied.

"Okay, see you later, then. Come on, Akamaru!"

"B-bye."

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><p>Hinata continued the shuriken practice, training for two more hours. After the training, she proceeded to go back to the Hyuuga's main house. She made it just in time, as it was 2:55 P.M. when she arrived. Hinata went straight to Hiashi's office, a great feeling of dread engulfing her. He only sent Neji to tell her about appointments when it was <strong>really <strong>important. Hinata got very tense as she reached her unwanted destination.

She nervously entered, trying her best not to quake in fear at Hiashi's presence.

"Sit down," Hiashi quietly commanded, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk.

The quietness made it seem all the more deadly. Hinata immediately did as she was told, hoping that Hiashi won't have another killing intent.

"It's been brought to my attention..." Hiashi started, his arms crossed.

Hinata silently waited for the head Hyuuga to finish his sentence. The suspense was building. Each second was a knife in her stomach. Was it her weakness? Was he finally going to banish Hinata from the Hyuuga clan?

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><p><strong>Hope you liked the chapter. You know, there's a secret to getting more chapters to come faster... *glances from side to side to make sure nobody is listening* It's called reviewing!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and stuff, keep it up!**

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><p>"...that we've run out of milk..."<p>

Hinata stared at Hiashi. His face was completely serious about this silly matter.

_...Milk? Is that what was so important? You bastard! You almost gave me a freaking heart attack from the suspense!_

Hiashi handed Hinata an envelope, which she hesitantly accepted.

"I want the milk to be in the fridge by 8:30 P.M., and the change and receipt should be on the kitchen table," Hiashi strictly instructed.

"Only one gallon of 2% milk shall be purchased. Understood?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama..." Hinata confirmed.

"Very well, you may leave."

Hinata stood up from the uncomfortable chair, and left Hiashi's office, closing the door softly. She let out a sigh of relief as soon as the door closed.

_Why doesn't he just ask one of the servants? Oh God, am I just another servant to him, now? Well, that's better than what he used to think of me before._

Hinata shrugged it off, not caring what the purpose of the task was anymore. She stuffed the envelope in her weapons pouch and walked out of the door. Hinata walked down the road, letting her mind wander as she approached Konoha's only supermarket: Konoha's Only Supermarket. Really, that's the name of it. Why they couldn't be more creative, Hinata will never know.

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><p>She entered the sliding doors, walking towards aisle 4, the dairy section. She picked up a shopping basket that was beside the shopping carts. Her mind was only focused on getting the milk and getting out. She wasn't really paying attention to who she was about to bump into.<p>

"Hey! Watch i-"

Sasuke stopped his sentence as he realized who he had bumped into. The very same girl he was thinking about.

_Speak of the devil..._

"So we meet again, Uchiha boy..." Hinata humorously stated, as if they were old enemies about to duel again.

"Hyuuga girl..." the Uchiha replied.

Hinata glanced to the left of Sasuke, seeing what she was looking for. She opened the fridge door, and placed the gallon jug of 2% milk into her basket. Hinata walked away from Sasuke, heading towards the check-out lane.

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><p>"Hey, wait!" Sasuke called out, not willing to let the Hyuuga get away this time.<p>

Sasuke followed Hinata, glad that all the lines were long.

"What do you want, Uchiha boy? I came here for milk, not a conversation with a stranger."

"Why did you leave earlier?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I didn't want to stay," Hinata answered.

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><p>The line moved quickly, and Hinata was soon at the front. The teenage brunette girl with short, layered hair at the register was very nervous from seeing so many ninjas in one day. It was her first day, and she felt like the store was going to be robbed any second. Hinata placed the milk on the counter, and the brunette scanned the bar code with a trembling hand.<p>

"Th-th-th-th-three s-seventy-nine," the brunette stuttered.

_This girl stutters even more than me... Must be terrified from all these ninja._

Hinata reached into her weapons pouch, the brunette's eyes widening.

_OH MY GOD! IS SHE GOING TO GET OUT A KNIFE AND KILL ME?_

The brunette's fears were eased as she saw that Hinata only got out a white envelope. Those fears were brought back once Hinata got out a kunai. The girl fainted at the sight of it, not being able to witness Hinata cutting the envelope with the kunai. Hinata glanced at the girl, seeing her body limp on the floor.

"Um... Hello? Customer service?" Hinata called out.

A brunette with a braid at another register noticed her co-worker, and picked up the intercom phone.

"Franky, Sally finally fainted. Assistance needed at check-out lane #2," the intercom said, prompting a man to rush over to the check-out lane that Hinata was in.

"Sorry about the new girl, she's not used to having ninjas as customers," the man said with a chuckle, accepting the $5 bill that was in Hinata's hand.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hinata asked with concern.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. This kind of thing happens all the time with newbies," the man answered.

The man gave Hinata her change and receipt, putting the milk in a plastic bag. He wished Hinata a good day, and Hinata left the store, leaving the shopping basket in its original spot.

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><p>"Wait!" Sasuke called out again, chasing after Hinata, who was walking at a fast pace.<p>

"What now?" the Hyuuga questioned, annoyed at the Uchiha.

"Stop trying to leave, I wanna talk to you!"

"I'm kinda busy right now," Hinata told him.

"Give me three good reasons you can't talk to me right now," the Uchiha demanded.

"1.) I don't know you 2.) the milk will spoil if I don't put it in the fridge soon, and 3.) you're attracting stalkers," Hinata listed.

"What?"

Sasuke turned around, seeing that what the Hyuuga said was true.

_Damn fan girls! Why can't I get some privacy?_

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><p>Hinata used this opportunity to dash away from the Uchiha, not wanting to talk to him at the moment. Hinata looked behind her, and saw that the Uchiha boy was following her. She remembered something that her cousin told her.<p>

"I just wanna talk, damn it!" Sasuke yelled, chasing Hinata.

_"If you something is bothering you, you can always come tell me." I hope that applies to people._

Hinata ran towards the Hyuuga's lower branch house, hoping to find Neji somewhere. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that the Uchiha was catching up to her. Hinata doubled her speed, desperate to get away. She ran into Neji, hiding behind him and dropping the milk on the ground. Sasuke stopped, not taking another step closer to the Hyuugas.

"Hinata! What happened?" Neji frantically asked, remembering Hinata's earlier request.

Hinata panted, trying to catch her breath.

"H-he was f-following m-me f-f-from th-the store, a-and t-told me h-he w-wanted to talk. B-but I-I got suspicious a-and ran a-away, a-and he f-followed me a-an-"

Hinata started to break into tears, covering her face with her hands.

"I-I was so scared, Neji-nii-san... I-I didn't know what to do, s-so I-I ran here, looking for y-you..."

Neji held his younger cousin, Hinata burying her face in his chest. He sent a glare at the dumbstruck Sasuke.

"Look, Uchiha boy... Don't mess with my cousin, or else you're going to regret it," Neji threatened Sasuke in a menacing tone.

_Looks like all the Hyuugas like to call me 'Uchiha boy'..._

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><p>Sasuke reluctantly walked away, not wanting to mess with a Hyuuga in Hyuuga territory.<p>

_What the hell is with the sudden 'protect me, I'm weak' act? And that stutter! She wasn't acting like that earlier._

Sasuke kicked an empty metal can that was in his way.

_Those tears were so real, though... You could just tell they came from real pain. Where did that pain come from?_

"Sasuke-kun!" yelled an all too familiar high pitched voice, running towards the already annoyed Uchiha.

_Hell no!_

"What do you want, Sakura?" Sasuke snarled, not too thrilled to have his thoughts interrupted by the pink-haired girl.

"Have you seen Naruto anywhere? He owes me $5," Sakura questioned.

"No," Sasuke coldly answered, his temper flaring.

"Okay! Well, see you around, I guess!" Sakura told the Uchiha, almost squealing in excitement about how cool Sasuke was.

Sakura ran off, with Sasuke unclenching his fist. He didn't even realize it was clenched. Sasuke continued his walk, not caring where he went. Meanwhile, Neji was calming his younger cousin with a cup of tea at the Hyuuga's lower branch house. He politely asked one of the servants to put the milk in the fridge of the main branch house for him.

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><p>"A-arigato, Neji-nii-san..." Hinata thanked her cousin.<p>

"Anytime."

"So, what did Hiashi-sama call you in his office for?" Neji questioned.

"H-he asked me to get more m-milk..." Hinata answered.

"Milk? That's the important matter he wanted to discuss?"

Hinata nodded in response, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

_It's kinda like how I was kidnapped before, when I was little... Trying to run away... No, that happened years ago, I should just get over it. I'll get stronger, that way I won't have to be saved anymore._

"Has something been bothering you, lately?" Neji asked.

"N-no, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," Neji answered, pouring more tea into Hinata's empty cup.

"Arigato..."

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><p>Hinata saw that the sun was setting, and once again thanked Neji before she left. She dove straight into bed, needing alone time. She didn't even realize that her thoughts drifted back to Sasuke.<p>

_Uchiha boy..._

Sasuke walked in the dark streets of Konoha, his thoughts still focused on the Hyuuga. He looked up at the dim, orange light from the lightbulb of a streetlamp. The light flickered, as if deciding whether it should just quit or not.

_Hyuuga girl... _

They simultaneously sighed in their locations.

_'What's wrong with you?' _Hinata and Sasuke thought at the same time.

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><p><strong>Once again, I urge you to review. If you're interested, you could check out my other fanfic, Point of No Return. This story only has 2 chapters now and is still more popular than my other one... <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**No, it did not take me weeks to get this chapter done. I just like to torture my readers. ****That's what you get for not leaving enough reviews. **

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><p>A few days later after the grocery shop incident, Sasuke was taking another meaningless walk around Konoha. He just really likes walks, even if they have no real purpose. It was as sunny as always in Konoha, and the Uchiha's thoughts were once again focused on the event that happened a few days prior.<p>

_Why do I feel so guilty? I always make girls cry after they confess to me! What makes that any different?_

No matter how hard he tried to get her out of his mind, his efforts would always be fruitless. It was such a corny love story; the popular guy falling in love with the girl that doesn't care about him. Sasuke decided to give corny love stories some slack, as they were somewhat realistic in his case. He stopped trying to fight the thoughts, thinking that they'll pass after they've flowed. However, his logic was wrong.

Once again, his thoughts were interrupted by another member of Team 7. Sasuke was turning around a corner, when a blonde boy bumped into him. Secretly, Sasuke was hoping that it'd be the Hyuuga girl.

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><p>"Oi! Sasuke-teme! There you are!" Naruto practically yelled when he noticed who he bumped into.<p>

"Can you be quiet for at least _one _second, dobe?" Sasuke requested.

A second of peace passed by, with Sasuke savoring it.

"Tsunade-baa-chan wants to see us in her office! I bet it's a mission, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted after the second passed by.

"Tch, whatever..." Sasuke muttered as he rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets.

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><p>Naruto walked beside Sasuke as they made their way towards the Hokage's office. Sasuke didn't appreciate this, but he never objected. The two were the kind of best friends that would deny the fact that they even know each other. Hinata was already in Tsunade's office, waiting for the two other people that were supposed to accompany her on the mission. She was drinking water from a paper cup that was provided for her by Shizune.<p>

The door was slammed open, creating a loud entrance for Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata started to choke on her water after it was revealed who her teammates would be.

_Naruto-kun! _

"Woah, Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto asked when he noticed Hinata choking.

"N-naruto-kun..." Hinata managed to say between coughs.

After Hinata was settled, she cleared her throat. She noticed that Naruto was staring at her intently, which caused her to blush.

"A-ano... I-I j-just choked on some water..." Hinata shyly explained, trying to avoid her crush's gaze.

"Okay, as long as you're fine," Naruto replied, flashing a smile.

Hinata began to blush again. Sasuke glanced at Hinata, then at Naruto.

_It's so obvious that the Hyuuga girl has a crush on him. Does that idiot even notice?_

"Oh hey, I don't think you two have met before..." Naruto noticed.

The Hyuuga and Uchiha knew they have met the other, though they decided to keep quiet about it.

"Hinata, this is Sasuke-teme, Sasuke-teme, this is Hinata," Naruto introduced.

Though they have met, they only knew each other's last names, so in a way, this was their first meeting.

"N-nice to meet you, Sasuke-san," Hinata greeted Sasuke.

"Hmph..." Sasuke responded.

"Looks like you're both off to a good start!" Naruto joked.

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><p>"Now that the introductions are done with, it's time to tell you three about the mission," Tsunade told them.<p>

Naruto and Sasuke sat down in the chairs in front of Tsunade's desk, waiting for Tsunade to fill them in about the mission.

"I've noticed that Hinata and Sasuke have never been on any missions together for some reason, so this mission will be good for strengthening their... Err... 'Bond'... Anyways, Naruto will be helpful for keeping the peace between the two. By that, I mean making sure Sasuke doesn't lash out on poor Hinata," Tsunade explained.

"The mission itself, however, is very important. It's a C-rank mission, but may be an S-rank if the conditions change. You three are in charge of guarding a sacred scroll in the Village Hiddan in Mist. Konoha isn't exactly on good terms with them, so this mission will help gain their trust. Mess it up, and face the wrath of my finger," Tsunade warned them.

All three nodded in response, confirming that they won't mess up.

"There's been some rumors about the Akatsuki wanting to steal the scroll for its knowledge..." Tsunade informed them.

Sasuke curled his hand into a fist at the mention of his older brother, his knuckled turning a deathly white.

_Itachi..._

"...so I urge you all to keep your guard up at all times."

Hinata glanced at Sasuke, noticing that he got tense at the mention of the Akatsuki. She then turned her attention back to Naruto, and started to blush again. Hinata looked away before anyone noticed.

"It will be a three days travel there, and you'll be there for one week. Meet tomorrow at 7:00 A.M. at the village gates. Asuma will provide you with money for a hotel, the map, and answers to any questions you might have. Are we clear?"

"Yes," the three verified in unison.

"Also, please don't break anything while you're there. That means you, Naruto..."

"What? I am completely stable, believe it" Naruto argued.

"You're as stable as rabid monkey with ADHD, believe _that..._" Sasuke commented.

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><p>Naruto stuck out his tongue at Sasuke, not too fond of his humor. The three exited the Hokage's office, going down the stairs until they finally exited the building. Naruto, with his arms crossed behind his neck, said his goodbyes, and walked off to who-knows-where. Hinata and Sasuke stayed behind. It was when Naruto was out of sight when Sasuke finally spoke up.<p>

"Hyuuga girl..."

"Uchiha boy..."

"Looks like we'll be working together," Hinata mentioned with a smirk.

"Seems like it," Sasuke agreed, with their eyes meeting.

The two turned around, so that their backs were facing each other. Their shoulders were almost touching.

"I guess I'll see you later, Uchiha boy," Hinata said to him.

"Same with you, Hyuuga girl," Sasuke replied.

The two went their separate ways without another word. Hinata was glad that they didn't have a repeat of the grocery shop incident. Neji must have been very persuasive. Hinata sighed, knowing that she'll have to inform Hiashi of the mission she was going on. She really _hated _talking to him.

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><p><strong>And there's the third chapter! Hope you liked it. To the person that asked why I center my paragraphs, I just think it looks fancier that way. Remember to review! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**I decided to switch to this format... Mehh, forgive me for my indecisiveness! I've really neglected this story. When was the last time I updated? Last year? Sheesh, I'm a lazy-ass. This chapter's been done the entire time, and I've never published it. **

**Well, maybe if you reviewed...  
><strong>

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><p>At 6:55 A.M, Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto met up at the gate of Konoha. Naruto was noticeably still half-asleep, yawning every 10 seconds. Hinata would blush at this, while Sasuke would only get irritated. It was clear that Sasuke woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Hinata seemed to be the only one that was a morning person. When Asuma arrived at 7:00, Sasuke and Naruto were already fighting.<p>

"Shut up, teme!" Naruto yelled with a yawn.

"At least I'm not the grumpy one," Naruto accused.

"I'm not grumpy, you're just irritating," Sasuke retorted.

"Hinata, isn't Sasuke-teme being grumpy?" Naruto asked Hinata.

Hinata looked down, and began to fiddle with the bottom of her jacket. She tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible.

"A-ano... W-well, he c-could–" Hinata stuttered.

"Spit it out, already!" Sasuke snapped.

_What the hell is with that freaking stuttering?_

Sasuke was annoyed with Hinata's constant stuttering and quiet tone. He didn't have the patience to deal with those kinds of people.

"Teme! Don't be rude to Hinata, you hurt her feelings! Say sorry, teme, dattebayo!" Naruto ordered Sasuke.

"A-ano... I-i-it's okay," Hinata said to Naruto.

"Rudeness shall not be tolerated! Sasuke-teme must say sorry!" Naruto declared.

"And what are you going to do if I don't, dobe?" Sasuke questioned.

"Then I'll tell on you!" Naruto threatened.

"Really mature," Sasuke responded, crossing his arms.

"If the two lovebirds are done bickering, then I'd like to do my job," Asuma interrupted, before Naruto could yell something back at Sasuke.

The three began to pay attention to Asuma. Asuma handed Hinata the map, and gave Sasuke a leather pouch with money in it.

"Hey! How come I don't get anything?" Naruto questioned.

"I give you the Power of Positive Thinking," Asuma told Naruto as he poked his forehead.

"All right!" Naruto shouted in excitement.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him, and Hinata smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Any questions?" Asuma asked.

The three became silent, trying to think of any questions they wanted to ask.

"Ano... W-what exactly is the scroll?" Hinata questioned.

"The scroll that you three will be protecting holds secrets about the origins of dojutsu, the Ten-Tails, and the Sage of the Six Paths. It is inside of a vault in the Hidden Mist's Department of Secrets," Asuma answered.

"Why do we need to protect it if it's already inside of a vault?" Sasuke asked.

"The lock of the vault is being repaired, and the scroll will be featured in a museum until the repairs are done. All you guys have to do is watch over it from 8:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M.," Asuma told them.

"Any other questions?" Asuma questioned.

"Nope," Naruto confirmed.

"All right, get going then. It'll be a long trip," Asuma told them.

"Oh, and don't worry about getting in trouble for looking at the scroll. It's in ancient writing that hasn't been decoded, yet," Asuma added.

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke began walking to the Village Hidden in Mist. Hinata and Sasuke barely took a glance at each other, mostly because Hinata was busy reading the map. Occasionally, the three would take a break from walking. Naruto tried to cheer Hinata and Sasuke up, using the "Power of Positive Thinking". Once again, Hinata would blush, while Sasuke would get irritated.

Hinata was always scanning her surroundings with her Byakugan, taking in as much as she could. To her, nature was the only beauty in life. She constantly made sure they were going in the right direction. By sunset, the trio decided to set up their camp. They voted to set up camp at a small clearing in the woods, near a waterfall.

Expectedly, Naruto was the one that had trouble setting up his tent. Hinata assisted him, and her face would go red every time Naruto complimented her. Every time Sasuke rolled his eyes at Hinata, Naruto reprimanded him and told him to be more positive. Sasuke would scoff in response, crossing his arms.

"I'll go gather the firewood," Sasuke volunteered.

"No! You have to stay here, and bond with Hinata, teme, believe it!" Naruto demanded.

That blonde annoyed the crap out of Sasuke sometimes. All he wanted to do is get away from_ him_. Maybe Hinata would revert to the person he met at the training grounds when he was alone with her.

"As long as I get some peace and quiet," Sasuke replied.

He tried his best to keep his tone from sounding like he was actually looking forward to "bonding" with Hinata.

"Good. Hinata, tell me if Sasuke does anything mean to you," Naruto told Hinata.

"O-okay," Hinata agreed.

"Okay!" Naruto responded, giving Hinata a thumbs up and a toothy grin.

As expected, Hinata's face turned red, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Once Naruto was out of sight, Hinata immediately chose to not talk to Sasuke, unless he talked to her first. Hinata got out the map, and began to study it.

_We'll be there by tomorrow if we keep up this pace._

A few minutes passed until Sasuke decided to end the awkward silence. Hinata was actually enjoying the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened in the supermarket," Sasuke apologized.

_Why am I apologizing? I just wanted to talk! _

No response.

It felt weird being the one getting the cold shoulder. Usually, Sasuke was the antisocial one. Hinata's lack of response tortured Sasuke. He really wanted to make conversation with her, for some reason.

"What's with the double personality?" Sasuke questioned.

"Shouldn't that be _my_ line?" Hinata replied, not taking her eyes off of the map.

Sasuke instantly shut up. He was trying to think of a good comeback, but nothing came to mind. A few more uncomfortable moments passed.

"You like Naruto?" Sasuke brought up.

"Again, shouldn't that be _my_ line?" Hinata repeated.

"After all, you're the guy that kissed Naruto-kun in the Academy," Hinata recalled.

"Sh-shut up! That was an accident!" Sasuke responded.

Hinata activated her Byakugan to check his reaction. He was looking away, trying to hide the tint of red on his face. Hinata smirked, and deactivated her dojutsu before he noticed.

"Whatever you say, Uchiha boy," Hinata replied.

The two remained silent for some more minutes. The silence was suffocating Sasuke. He never acted this way around anyone. What made Hinata different?

"I hate Itachi," Sasuke suddenly stated.

"I used to look up to him because he was my big brother, but then he changed. He became cold and distant. One day, he murdered my clan, and spared me. He told me I was weak and worthless. I really hate him, but I still miss the times when we were happy and everything was okay," Sasuke admitted.

Words could not describe how jealous Hinata was of Sasuke. Gods, if only Itachi decided to kill _her_ clan! And he actually used to have someone he looked up to! She only had someone who looked down her. And by someone, she meant _everyone_.

"And why would _I _care, Uchiha boy?" Hinata questioned bitterly.

She wasn't even looking at him. Gods, Hyuugas could be so creepy sometimes. They acted like they were blind even though in reality they could see everything.

"Do you expect me to pity you, or something? Do you want me to comfort you and say that that's the past, and this is the present? You've done nothing for me, and I'm just returning the favor," Hinata told the Uchiha.

It was way too much of a shock for Sasuke. Anyone else would have instantly started to give sympathy. No, Hinata was way too different. She knew how he felt, and didn't want to try to help him unless he wanted to try to help her. Hinata was asking for a mutual friendship.

"Fine, then. I'll scratch your back if you scratch my back. Tell me _your _life story, Hyuuga girl," Sasuke agreed.

He could've given up, but he chose not to. Sasuke was really determined to become Hinata's friend for some reason. He reasoned that it was Uchiha instinct to accept difficult challenges.

Hinata turned towards Sasuke. She just couldn't figure out why the hell he wanted to know so much about her. _Nobody_ cared about her. She wasn't as outstanding or popular as the other girls, and she preferred to stay in the dark. She could see in the dark, anyway, thanks to her bloodline.

"Hiashi, my 'father,' is always abusing me. Whether it's physically or emotionally, it happens all the time. I was originally supposed to be the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, but Hiashi thought I was too weak, and gave the position to my younger sister. He even beat my mother to death to prove that being nice was equivalent to being weak. I wear this jacket all the time to hide the bruises. My entire clan pretty much hates me, and I wish they were all dead," Hinata described.

More unpleasant muteness. At least she was finally looked at him.

"What's with all the stuttering around everyone but me, Hyuuga girl?" Sasuke questioned.

"What's with all the coldness around everyone but me, Uchiha boy?" Hinata retorted.

"I'm sick of being mean," Sasuke answered.

"I'm sick of being nice," Hinata replied.

More silence made its way into the conversation. However, it was a silence that's used for thinking and understanding. The Hyuuga and Uchiha were finally starting to warm up to each other.

"I guess we could get along, then," Sasuke said.

"I guess so," Hinata concurred.

"Let's make a promise, then. I'll always be there for you, and you'll always be there for me. Fair enough?" Sasuke said.

"I agree to those terms," Hinata confirmed.

Sasuke and Hinata shook hands to seal the deal. While they were shaking hands, their eyes met. The Hyuuga and Uchiha saw eye to eye. When the handshake was done, Hinata sat down, her legs in front of her and propping herself up with her arms. Sasuke sat next to her, sitting cross legged.

"So... You like Naruto?" Sasuke brought up again.

"Yes, yes I do. He's the reason why I continue to live," Hinata finally confessed.

A strange sensation curled up in Sasuke's stomach. What was that? Was he jealous? Sasuke shook away his thoughts and returned his attention to Hinata.

"Itachi is the reason why I continue to live," Sasuke replied.

Hinata raised an eyebrow at Sasuke.

"You love him?" Hinata questioned.

"Ew. No, I hate him. My goal in life is to kill him," the Uchiha responded.

"There's a thin line between love and hate," Hinata teased.

He felt like vomiting at that statement.

"Gross," he responded.

She smirked at him.

"Well, I love Naruto-kun. My goal in life is to be able to be his equal."

_How sappy. _

"And to kill Hiashi."

_That's better. _

"We're really alike," Sasuke noticed.

"No, we're complete opposites," Hinata denied.

They were both thinking the same thing.

_Opposites attract. _

After all, there wouldn't be yin without yang. The two talked together as they waited for Naruto to return from gathering firewood. The topics they spoke about were mostly trivial. They shared a few laughs every now and then. They were so out of character when they were alone together.

When Hinata and Sasuke heard Naruto's footsteps, they reverted back to their original selves. Hinata was sitting and reading the map, and Sasuke was leaning on a nearby tree, his arms crossed. Naruto had three clones accompanying him, all to their chins with firewood. They dropped the wood in the middle of the campground, and the clones disappeared with a cloud of smoke.

"Oi! I'm back!" Naruto announced.

"W-welcome back, Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted with a soft smile, putting away the map.

Hinata stood up, and Naruto walked to Hinata's side, causing her to blush at how close he was. Sasuke didn't like how fast Naruto got Hinata's attention when he had to tell his entire life story to get her to give him a real response instead of an insult, albeit it was about how she didn't care about his life.

_What's so damn special about that idiot?_

"What took you so long, dobe?" Sasuke asked, once again irritated.

"Shut up, teme! There was barely any wood on the ground, so I had to cut down a tree to get this wood, believe it!" Naruto responded.

"No wood on the ground in a _forest_?" Sasuke skeptically questioned.

"A-arigato, Naruto-kun. I-it must've been hard," Hinata complimented, ignoring Sasuke's remark.

"Ehehe, it was no big deal," Naruto replied modestly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the two. The feeling of envy curled up in Sasuke's stomach again. He then proceeded to start the fire. Sasuke gathered some of the firewood in a pile. He did some hand seals, and blew a small flame onto the wood, setting it on fire.

Naruto rolled his eyes at Sasuke's attempt to boast about his fire jutsu. Hinata gave Sasuke a small smile. When Naruto wasn't looking, the smile turned into a smirk. She mouthed the words "Show off" to Sasuke. Sasuke smirked back, thinking that his attempt to impress Hinata worked. Hinata rolled her eyes. Naruto was completely oblivious to the two's silent communication.

"Soooo... What'd you two talk about while I was gone?" Naruto asked Hinata.

Sasuke secretly looked at Hinata, curious of what Hinata's answer would be. He was hoping that she wouldn't tell the truth and say they got along, or else Naruto would accuse him of liking Hinata. Even if he did like Hinata, he wouldn't want to be teased about it his entire life by Naruto, and secretly Hinata.

"N-nothing...," Hinata lied.

The Uchiha and Hyuuga both knew they talked about way more than nothing. They didn't even have to discuss it to know that they wanted to keep their friendship a secret. Both of their reputations would be shattered if the truth came out. Great minds must think alike.

"Well, that's good! Teme is_ extremely_ moody, you know. I'm glad he didn't hurt your feelings or anything," Naruto replied.

Hinata smiled, with a faint blush on her face. Sasuke crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and began to get jealous again. Naruto yawned, crossing his arms behind his neck as he walked towards his tent.

"I'm going to go sleep, now," Naruto declared.

Naruto walked into his tent, and zipped it up. The sun was setting, making the light of the fire seem brighter each second. In a few seconds, Naruto's faint snoring was heard.

"Talked about nothing, huh?" Sasuke brought up.

The two shared a quiet laugh, careful to not wake up the slumbering blonde. Sasuke took Hinata's hand, and began to drag her off somewhere. Hinata resisted, trying to pull Sasuke back towards the campsite.

"What?" Sasuke questioned.

"Isn't it a bad idea to leave a fire unattended?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke only shrugged, resuming to haul Hinata out of Naruto's hearing range in case he happened to wake up while they were talking. Although it was highly unlikely since Naruto was a heavy sleeper, the two didn't want to take a chance. Hinata broke free of Sasuke's grasp.

"God, you're so handsy," Hinata complained.

"Would you prefer it if I placed my hands_ somewhere else_?" Sasuke retorted.

"In your pants, away from me," the Hyuuga answered without blush or stutter.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Hinata's rebellious attitude. He was actually hoping that she would get all embarrassed like she did with Naruto.

"Whatever, just follow me, slowpoke," Sasuke ordered.

Hinata let out a sigh, crossing her arms.

"How troublesome," she commented.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You sound a lot like Shikamaru when you say that," the Uchiha remarked.

Hinata blinked in surprise.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I never talk to him, though."

Hinata felt awkward knowing that they were actually connected by more than one person and have still never talked before.

"_His lazy attitude is really troublesome_," they said in unison.

There was some silence, embarrassed that they were so in sync. Hinata glared at him.

_A copy cat, just like his sensei._

Sasuke glared back.

_What is she glaring at me, for? _

"Go to hell, Uchiha boy."

"After you, Hyuuga girl."

* * *

><p><strong>Do <em>not<em> freaking forget to review! I forgot about this story because you didn't review.*sigh* What am I going to do with you lazy readers?  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five! Woo! Hope you're enjoying this story so far.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>It was getting darker as Sasuke led Hinata to who-knows-where. She was beginning to have worries. And suspicions. She questioned why she even trusted him in the first place.<p>

_I know I can be naive sometimes, but... _

They were surrounded by dead trees and parched soil. Hinata knew they went too far if the soil was dry. Their campsite is near a waterfall, where the soil is moist and the plants are lush. Still, she blindly followed the Uchiha, her curiosity at its peak.

But what will Naruto do if he wakes up? He'll definitely panic when he finds out that he's alone. What will be his reaction when he finds out that Sasuke and Hinata are together? Where the hell are they even _going?_

"Are you sure your stupid brain won't get us killed?" the Hyuuga asked.

"And what makes _you_ the smart one? You're the one that followed," the Uchiha retorted.

A retort instead of an answer. Yup, they're in danger.

"I beat Shikamaru in shogi. _Twice_," she justified.

There was a pause before Sasuke spoke. He must've been shocked.

"He was probably going easy on you, since you're a girl and he's all chivalrous and crap," Sasuke responded.

"How many times have _you_ won?" she questioned.

Even though he was in front of her, Hinata knew that the Uchiha's expression revealed that he hadn't won a single game. Although he could just say that Shikamaru never went easy on him since he's not a girl, it'd also reveal that his intelligence isn't on par with the Nara's. He refused to acknowledge that lazy ass.

"Are you picking a fight, Hyuuga girl?" he challenged.

_Che! _Hinata felt like stabbing him for being so stupid. A simple slap wouldn't do anything. The only one here picking a fight is _him_. And if they did spar to test their abilities, they'd be screwed if there were enemy-nin around because they'd be exhausted from the fight.

_Uchiha prodigy my _ass_. Sakura and Ino are idiots for even wanting to look in his direction. _

Hinata activated her Byakugan to study the enemies that were most likely lurking in the shadows. Her eyes widened in shock. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted two black and red clad criminals. Sasuke stopped a few seconds later when he realized the person behind him wasn't following anymore. He glanced behind his shoulder.

"What's your problem, Hyuuga?" he asked.

Hinata suddenly rushed towards him, grabbing him by the collar. Her grip could've strangled him if it was around his neck. A killing intent was fiercely displayed in her pale lavender eyes. Sasuke was surprised by this, taken completely off guard. He studied the Hyuuga girl vigilantly for the cause of her sudden burst of anger.

"I'm going to fucking _murder_ you," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage.

Sharingan eyes met Byakugan eyes. Sasuke's heart skipped a beat when he realized her dojutsu was activated. Hinata's grip only tightened.

_No... Th... This can't be..._

"What did you see?" he demanded anxiously.

His heart was racing. Fear, anger, annoyance, and worry was combined into one hellish fire. His eyes were threatening to put Hinata under a genjutsu.

"There's going to be _so much_ blood, Uchiha boy..." she promised.

"Tell me what you fucking saw!" he impatiently yelled at her.

"You're such a dumbass! They're at the campsite! _The Akatsuki is at the campsite!_" she screamed at him.

Sasuke broke away from Hinata's clutches, immediately dashing back to where Naruto was as fast as his legs could carry him. He muttered a million curses under his breath, mostly pissed at his own carelessness.

Hinata took in a deep breath after the Uchiha left. She lied about the Akatsuki being at the campsite. The two S-rank criminals were heading towards them, but Hinata knew that they'd be screwed if Sasuke and Itachi met. If he was the type to follow a girl home just because he wanted to talk, then he was definitely the type to blindly rush at his older brother for revenge. And while that was happening, the other one would go ahead and capture Naruto while he was vulnerable. Hinata would be forced to go after him, leaving Sasuke alone, and she knew she couldn't go up against an S-rank criminal. Two out of the three group members would be occupied, and the third will jump in heroically and get them all killed.

With Sasuke and Naruto together, Hinata would be the one who'd be facing the two Akatsuki members alone. At least this way, only one of them would be dead. However, the Hyuuga wasn't planning on being a noble sacrifice like her uncle Hizashi.

* * *

><p>"Naruto!"<p>

The campsite had a hollow, empty feel to it. The fire was still burning, though weaker than before. He kicked dirt on it. If Hinata was right about not leaving Naruto alone, then she might also be right about leaving the fire alone. He wanted to slap himself.

_Why the hell do I care about a stupid fire? _

He rushed into the Uzumaki's tent.

"Naruto! Naruto!" he yelled, desperate for an answer.

He ripped off the covers of a sleeping orange-wearing shinobi.

"Shut up, bastard! I'm trying to sleep!" Naruto yelled back.

Blue eyes met red ones. Sasuke wouldn't activate his Sharingan for no reason. He was angry, worried, pissed, relieved...

"Hey... What happened?" he asked.

"That bitch...!" he cursed.

He could imagine her evil giggles right now. If he took one peek out of the tent, he'd see that disgusting smirk on her–

–Where is she?

Shit! He thought she was following him! If she wasn't following him, then she's still where he left her. The Akatsuki wasn't a complete lie, was it?

"Oi, Sasuke. What's up? Where's Hinata?"

"Tch... That should be my line."

* * *

><p>"What the <em>hell <em>is the meaning of this, Tsunade?" demanded a furious Kurenai.

Her red eyes seemed to be almost glowing with rage. The Fifth Hokage readied herself. There were currently no guards around her. Although Tsunade is a Legendary Sannin, Kurenai is still a threat to her since she's the top genjutsu-user of Konoha. Her skills are said to rival Itachi Uchiha.

_It feels like everyone with red eyes is a threat. _

"You sent one of my genin on a mission without my knowledge."

Kurenai restrained herself, attempting to be calmer. She only managed to make her voice sound even angrier. How could she not be angry, though? She can't trust a Hokage who does things behind her jounins' backs. Her decision was completely _idiotic_ this time.

"She needs the experience. You're treating her like a child."

Yes, she's treating Hinata like a child. Caring about her main branch Hyuuga genin's safety is obviously being too soft on her. Who cares if her eyes could get stolen? Who cares is she's kidnapped for ransom? Who cares if she lives or not?

Brainless bitch.

"They have no jounin sensei to accompany them and there's a risk of Akatsuki members. According to Asuma, you also sent Naruto–the jinchuuriki–and Sasuke–a Sharingan-user that Orochimaru is after _and _will jump at his brother and possibly get _killed just _because he wants to avenge his _damned clan!_" Kurenai nearly screamed.

"Control yourself!" Tsunade ordered.

"I'm not an idiot! I have have my top ANBU tailing them closely. If anything happens to them, they'll be evacuated from the situation right away and I'll be informed," the blonde explained.

Her voice grew progressively calmer as she explained the real situation. Kurenai soon found her fists relaxing. It seems that she misunderstood. She was still angry that she was uninformed about a mission that one of her genin accepted, though. Trust between the jounin of the village and the Hokage will easily erode if one goes behind the other's back.

"...Besides, Hinata has a 100% success rate on her missions when Naruto is also participating. I'm sure everything will turn out just fine..."

Right on cue, Shizune burst into the room. She was frantic and wide-eyed, squeezing Tonton so hard that the pig might even suffocate. Tsunade cursed her timing. This better not be about what she was just discussing.

Before Tsunade could even blink, Kurenai was holding the Fifth Hokage's assistant by the hem of her kimono. The genjutsu-user's temper flared into an impossibly scorching flame, hotter than Amaterasu. Shizune's heart skipped a beat when she looked into her ringed eyes.

"Tell me what happened," she ordered, her tone threateningly serene.

"The ANBU that were supposed to be guarding Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke on their mission are dead. Itachi and Kisame killed them!" Shizune spat out at an impressive speed.

The Hokage instantly stood up at the news, spilling a glass of ink. Hew news wasn't anticipated. Kurenai had mercy on the medic-nin, releasing her. She instead concentrated her fury onto the Slug Sannin.

"_All _of them?" she questioned incredulously.

"All but one. Eagle."

"Tch...!"

Tsunade rushed over to a bookcase. A large green scroll was snapped out and rolled open. She laid it on the floor in a hurry. Summoning circles were drawn on the scroll. Tsunade swiftly scanned for the circle labelled "Eagle" and made the proper seals for the summoning.

What was produced was a smaller scrolled. It was rapidly opened, almost ripping in the process. She speed-read the message on it.

_**I'm the only one left. Sparrow and the others have all been killed. **_

_**Itachi and Kisame's skills are extremely amazing and dangerous. I narrowly escaped**_

_**death. **_

_**Uchiha-sama and Hyuuga-sama went on a walk together, leaving **_

_**Uzumaki-sama alone at the camp. Hyuuga-sama was smart enough to use her Byakugan **_

_**to detect any potential threats, and informed Uchiha-sama of the Akatsuki members. **_

_**However, she lied to him. She told him that they were already at the **_

_**campsite instead of nearing towards them. Uchiha-sama rushed to the camp while**_

_**Hyuuga-sama was left behind.**_

_** Currently, Hyuuga-sama is alone with the Akatsuki. I'm thankful that she's **_

_**not stupid enough to think that she has the ability to take them on. She is instead attempting to talk her **_

_**way out of the situation. I am fully prepared to interfere and transport Hyuuga-sama away if needed. **_

Tsunade's eyes were as wide as saucers. Talk herself out of the situation? Is that girl _crazy?_ She should've ran! She bit her lip until blood trickled down her chin.

No, maybe she was right. Itachi and Kisame are obviously faster than her. One of them will easily catch her and then the other will surpass Sasuke's speed and beat him to Naruto. However, her plan can only be successful if she somehow manages to lead away the Akatsuki members from her teammates, and Tsunade doubted that would–

More words suddenly appeared on the scroll.

_**Hyuuga-sama is quite the liar. She managed to persuade Itachi and **_

_**Kisame that the "Naruto they sensed was only a **_**kage bunshin**_**." She also mentioned that **_

_**ever since the village was informed of the Akatsuki being on the move, Uzumaki-sama has been **_

_**put on restriction for missions and that he is only allowed to send his shadow clones out of the **_

_**village. Hyuuga-sama successfully led the Akatsuki members away. **_

Tsunade's lips curled into a smile. It seems that Hinata is a more mendacious girl than she thought she was. To be able to manipulate her enemy _and_ comrades to keep her team intact... It seems that Kurenai might not be such a bad influence on her; as long as Hinata remembers her morals, of course.

"It seems that your student has picked up one of your habits," the Hokage observed.

"She's _drinking?_" Kurenai exclaimed in shock.

"Lying," corrected the older woman.

A kunai knife was unexpectedly thrown at Tsunade. The two women proceeded to enter an unofficial glaring contest.

* * *

><p>Sasuke hauled Naruto to the clearing where Hinata was. She was brushing dirt off of her pants. Naruto could've sworn that the Hyuuga was smirking when she saw them, but he wasn't too sure. She instantly began fretting when she saw the blonde shinobi.<p>

_Hinata-chan sure can be weird, sometimes... I wonder...?_

"N-naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, running up to him.

"Hey, Hinata! I'm so glad you're okay! I was really worried when Sasuke-teme suddenly woke me up and you were missing... What happened?"

Naruto didn't receive the response he was hoping for. Hinata's face was flushed a stunning red for some reason.

"N... Naruto-kun..."

_He was... worried... He was... glad that I'm okay?_

The back of his hand was placed against Hinata's forehead. Her blush grew even deeper.

"Are you really okay?" he questioned.

She frantically jerked away from his hand, her eyes concentrated on a dead tree. Coincidentally, it was also the same tree that the hidden ANBU member was using as cover.

"Ano... I-I'm fine, Naruto-kun..." she promised.

"You sure? Because you–"

He was interrupted when Sasuke furiously grabbed the hem of Hinata's jacket. His Sharingan eyes were practically on fire. If looks could kill, Hinata would've died once and over by now.

"What the _shit _is wrong with you, Hyuuga girl?" he yelled, vexed beyond his limit.

Hinata scowled competitively at the Uchiha. She was a million shades calmer than him, drawing a thick line of contrast between them. She mouthed words that both the ANBU and Naruto weren't at the right angle to see.

_"Read my lips. _

_Fuck._

_Off."_

Sasuke was extremely close to murdering the fuck out of Hinata. Everything she did made _no fucking sense _and _pissed him off. _He desperately wished that tomorrow he'll wake up and find Hinata annoyingly squealing over a cold stare from him. She was the first person to make him miss Sakura.

_"Keep reading my lips. We're going to be spending some extra time at our current campsite. Our teams are coming."_

Sasuke's anger started to cool at the news. Confusion replaced the cooled ferocity. He mouthed his own reply, assuming that she also knows how to read lips.

_"Why? How do you know?"_

Hinata gave a quick glance behind her shoulder at the dead tree the ANBU hid behind.

_"Just a good guess."_

Sasuke loosened his grip, deactivating his bloodline limit. Something definitely happened while she was alone. That was the reason she was acting so _fucking mysterious _about whatever he's missing. Or at least he hoped that was the reason. Hell, he was hoping that she even had a reason. With that Hyuuga's brain, it wouldn't surprise him if she didn't.

Shikamaru was right when he called women troublesome.

"Oi! I feel like you two are keeping a secret from me!" Naruto stated, annoyed by his comrades' strange behavior.

No shit. No communication was required to figure that out. Sasuke rolled his eyes, reverting back to his usual personality. After a "Tch!", he shoved his hands in his pockets and proceeded to walk back to the camp. Naruto was about to yell after him until Hinata interrupted.

"N-Naruto-kun..."

She smiled brightly at him, dispersing any suspicion he had about the two.

"It's nothing, Naruto-kun. Please don't worry yourself," she implored.

_**Hyuuga-sama **_

A kunai was flung straight at the ANBU before the sentence was finished. It was much too close for Eagle's liking. Thanks to the angle, it managed to hit the paper he was writing on. He was lucky that the genjutsu he cloaked himself with wasn't broken through yet. Otherwise, the Uzumaki would've heard the paper ripping. Although, he would've been able to figure his location had he noticed that he didn't hear the kunai hit anything. Eagle was lucky for his stupidity.

Cover blown or not, he made one important discovery. Hyuuga Hinata is not the weak, naive little girl Hiashi thinks he is. Eagle wondered how long she has known about his whereabouts and how developed her Byakugan is.

Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata's neck, his white teeth displayed in a cheerful smile. Hinata's face began to grow hot again.

"As long as you're safe, Hinata-chan!" he declared.

As red as her face became, she didn't faint. Sure, he was extremely close to her... and holding her tightly... and talking about how he wanted her to be safe... and his embrace was warm... and he made the rest of the world disappear...

Soon, Naruto was holding up a knocked out Hinata. His blue eyes widened when he realized that she fainted. So she wasn't completely okay. She had a fever!

"H-Hinata!" he cried out.

He shook her gently, hoping to wake her up.

"Hinata? Hinata? Hello?"

Her face was completely engulfed in heat. She mumbled his name subconsciously. After a few more unsuccessful shakes, he gave up.

"Eh... Guess I'll have to carry you."

Sasuke, who had stopped only a few meters in front of the clearing, snarled. That Hyuuga girl will never make sense. He frowned at nothing when he heard Naruto talking about carrying her. He curiously turned around to see if he was serious.

The Uchiha was astonished to see that Naruto was actually serious. He was carrying her piggy-back style. She seemed to be unconscious, her entire face flushed. He couldn't fathom what the hell happened during the two minutes he left them alone.

"What the hell happened?"

"She fainted... Fever, or something. Guess she lied to keep us from worrying."

Fever? That's out of the blue. She was as healthy as horse before, never showing any symptoms. The only exception was the blushing...

Wait.

Did she faint because of Naruto?

What the fuck? Even Sakura never does that! And for someone as stupid as _Naruto? _Sasuke couldn't believe that girl.

"Tch!"

He turned away from him.

"Hey! Aren't you worried?" Naruto responded.

Worried? Damn right he's worried. Hinata's definitely not okay in the head to have a crush on a moron who wears orange and eats ramen every day.

_Stupid Hyuuga girl!_

* * *

><p><strong>Such an angry chapter. (o_o)<br>**

**PM me some ideas, if you want. **

**And don't forget to review!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**I made you wait, didn't I? How evil of me~!  
><strong>

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Hinata felt a cool breeze sweeping across her face. Muffled voices whispered, but she was too dazed to figure out what they were saying. Her eyes struggled to open. It was blurry, but eventually, she was able to make out a face above her.<p>

_"... bitch will be fine..." _

_"Oi! Don't call her that! Oh, hey... is she awake?" _

It was dark, she noted. The sun must have already dropped while she was knocked out. That wasn't too important to Hinata, though.

What mattered was blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. The sight was all too familiar to her. It reminded her of... reminded her of...

"N... Naruto... kun?" she mumbled.

The face became clear. It seems that her guesses were correct. The face hovering above her is Naruto's, the other voice is Sasuke's, and the lap she's resting on is...

"Hinata! You're awake!" the loud genin declared happily.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

The hyper shinobi nodded energetically, beaming at her. Hinata let her eyes fall shut once more. Her head laid lax on his warm lap.

"Naruto-kun..."

The Uzumaki's energy levels toned down. He watched as her face went peaceful. He merely assumed that she was tired from her fever. He glared when Sasuke scoffed at the two.

"Naruto-kun..."

He was so warm, so welcoming towards her. The honest look of appreciation in his eyes were enough to make Hinata's heart melt. He was so _bright_, so _golden_; the exact opposite of her. Maybe that's why she loved him so much–because he was different from her. Because he was Naruto.

Hinata's eyes snapped open. She suddenly sat up, scaring Naruto half to death. Her face went a beet red once more.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she squealed.

The Hyuuga girl couldn't believe it. She was _so close_ to him. She was sleeping on his lap! Th-they were just like a _couple!_ Like _lovers! _

Once again, she fainted.

"H-Hinata!" Naruto yelled out in surprise.

"Geez, why does she always do this?" Kiba complained.

Just as Hinata predicted, Team 7 and 8 arrived. Hinata being correct with her mysterious predictions wasn't what bothered the Uchiha. Sasuke was pissed because, once more, someone that was protective of Hinata nicknamed him "Uchiha boy." He couldn't fathom why Kurenai was mad at _him_; that Hyuuga girl was the one who lied and put _herself _in danger! That red-eyed beast would've killed him hadn't Kakashi interfered in time.

He officially feared Kurenai more than Itachi.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke-kun!" called out a pink-haired kunoichi as she ran up to the Uchiha.<p>

He mentally groaned to himself. Sasuke was already a misogynist. He didn't need any more women to make his hatred worse. At this rate, he'll be hating females more than his older brother. Reluctantly, he wasted energy to glance coldly behind his shoulder. Unfortunately, this somehow seemed to excite the Haruno even more. Still, he'd prefer her over that Hyuuga and her crazy-ass teacher. Perhaps he should show _some _appreciation.

"Yes, Sakura?" he responded, his lips twitching as he faked a smile that resembled a grimace.

Sakura took a step back in fear.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun? Do you need me to bandage anything?" she worriedly questioned.

Is his smile that horrible? He dropped the fake cheerfulness that he obviously couldn't pull off. Scowling has always been more comfortable for him. He could at least try to keep the coldness out of his voice...

"I'm fine. What do you want?"

Sakura blushed a bright pink, like the color of a cherry blossom that was her name.

Inner Sakura: _Shannaro! He's finally acknowledging me! I'm definitely going to beat Ino-pig! Now think of something to talk about... Something..._

She looked around for inspiration.

"Nice scenery, right? Waterfalls are very peaceful..."

Sakura laughed nervously.

_That was okay, I guess... _

"Tch..."

* * *

><p>Sakura smiled at Sasuke's usual stoic behavior. Even though he was thinking that there will never be any kind of peace in his life, Sakura was glad that he was asking like his ordinary self. He's been out of sorts, ever since...<p>

"Y-your neck..."

She earned an intense glare that would've killed her if Sasuke had the Mangekyou Sharingan. The cursed seal was still a sensitive topic, it seems. He turned away from her to retreat into his tent. Sakura grabbed onto his shirt. Her emerald green eyes were shining with tears.

"P-please! Sasuke-kun! You have to tell somebody! What if... What if...?"

He slapped her hand away. This time when he glared at her, his Sharingan was activated. Sakura's eyes were widened in fear and shock. She backed away from him and, in her astonishment, fell to the ground.

"This is none of your business!" he snarled.

He coldly stomped off, leaving Sakura with a waterfall of tears flowing down her face. She didn't want to see him cause harm to himself. A million malicious voices kept whispering into her ear. _What if? What if? What if?_

* * *

><p>When Hinata recovered from her third fainting spell, she noticed that she was in her tent. Sakura was next to her, with her back facing Hinata. The Hyuuga sat up, briefly wondering the time. Sakura rolled over to face her friend.<p>

"Hinata..." Sakura murmured.

The pink-haired kunoichi's face was damp and her pillow was stained with tears. Hinata's eyes widened.

"S-sakura-san..."

Sakura sobbed. She thought her urge to cry had already been satisfied, but that didn't seem to be the case. It felt so easy to give in, to let Hinata stroke her hair sympathetically and comfort her. She leaned helplessly against her close friend's chest, letting a wet spot grow on Hinata's black shirt.

_Someone has to know. _

"Hinata... C-can I trust you with a secret?" Sakura managed to choke out.

"Of course."

Probably not. She'll probably tell Neji the second she gets home. Hinata was somewhat regretful of lying to a friend over something trivial, but she was extremely curious about the secret. Curiosity killed the cat.

Luckily, the Haruno was oblivious to Hinata's dark side. Sakura bit her lip. She knew (_thought_ would be more appropriate) she could trust Hinata. She was certain (_in her mind_) that the girl has never told a single lie in her entire life. Hinata was too pure (more like pure evil) for that.

"I... It's about Sasuke-kun..."

Hinata wanted to kill herself. This must be karma.

"He... During the Chuunin Exams, he got a Curse Seal mark from O-Orochimaru."

Her heart skipped a beat just from hearing the words "_Chuunin Exam_." Hinata tried her best not to look pale. Instead, she focused on the current information being given to her. A Cursed Seal. Orochimaru. That sounded juicy. Maybe she fooled even Karma-sama, after all.

"It's supposed to be sealed away, but lately... It's active again."

Hinata stayed silent, calculating and calming herself and Sakura. The information was still sinking into her head. An active Cursed Seal.

The Hyuuga heiress is required to be informed about the workings of how Curse Marks work. However, Hinata wasn't the heiress. She was the _ex-heiress. _There was nothing she could do to help, even if she wanted to.

And she didn't.

It's not like she signed up for this bullshit, anyway. His problem, not hers. Sakura shouldn't be so concerned over something that didn't affect her.

"Orochimaru is after Sasuke-kun... That bastard wants to steal Sasuke-kun's body! He's tempting Sasuke-kun with power! Please! _Please_, Hinata! I can't let him go! I just _can't!_"

More sobs racked throughout Sakura's body. Hinata held her tighter, hushing her and comforting her as a mother would do to her daughter. A horrible mother Hinata would be, for every comforting action was just for courtesy. Politeness.

Hinata didn't care much about the predicament. If the Uchiha boy wants to whore out his body for "power," then he shall. It was actually hilarious to her. He wants to restore his clan's pride, so his first step is dirtying it. He must be extremely desperate.

_Perhaps that pitiful Uchiha boy can be put to use, after all. _

"Hinata... What should I do? I don't know what to do! I just... I just feel so useless!" she wailed out.

Useless. Now that's something Hinata can relate to. But, hypothetically speaking, what _should_ be done? Just pretend for a second that Hinata actually was concerned about Sasuke. What can she do to prevent him from leaving the village?

Neji could've gone down that same road, Hinata remembered. He almost did, too. She found the huge load of cash that he's been piling up when she was 10. He could've traveled far away to a village of civilians where there was no lower or main branch, no Cursed Seals, no family or enemies or friends to meddle with what he wanted. Neji could've escaped from his cage and been a free bird. Free to fly in the blue sky until he wanted to die.

She had two options at that time. Either clip its wings, or let him soar.

Neji didn't soar.

"Sakura-san, what Orochimaru wants is the Sharingan, right?" Hinata asked.

Sakura nodded her head.

"If he doesn't have the Sharingan, then Orochimaru won't be a problem anymore."

Sakura lifted her head up, her wide eyes staring at Hinata in disbelief. The Hyuuga is suggesting that she _blind _him! She could never do that!

"I-I can't! I'd never be able to hurt Sasuke-kun!" she declared.

"Ano... A-actually, I was just thinking of sealing away the Sharingan..."

_But that works, too. _

"Oh... But... I don't think Sasuke-kun would like that... The Sharingan is proof of him being an Uchiha..."

Because, apparently, the big-ass fan on the back of all of his shirts that scream "Uchiha!" aren't enough. Hinata _wished _that all evidence of her being a Hyuuga would disappear as soon as she was blinded. Her name is a _fucking pun_ on her clan name. It's as if she was branded with her own kind of seal.

"Sakura-san... If you don't want a bird to fly, you have to cage it," Hinata told her.

The Cursed Seal on Neji's forehead was the lock that kept him in the cage. His "destiny" was the chains that secured his prison. Hinata made sure to keep both in check, that way Neji would never leave her.

He was her Nii-san.

She could never let him go.

_Ever. _

But the Chuunin Exams changed it all. Naruto peeled away the chains from his cage. Neji was one step closer to flying away. One step closer to leaving her.

Maybe Naruto was right to take away the chains. Those chains suffocated the fragile bird inside, and were even fatal to the one that trapped the bird. Was she being too obsessive? Did her need to stay close to him only make them grow farther apart?

These thoughts didn't even matter, anymore. Hinata found a new chain to bind Neji with: guilt. The key to the lock that held the chains together was her forgiveness, and she made sure to toss that key in the river.

"I _can't_ cage him, Hinata. I just... I don't..."

Sakura spluttered to find the right sentence, the right words, the right thoughts to dispel the idea from her head.

"You have to chain him down with something. Anything."

Sakura bit her lip.

_Chain him down... _

"Would you do the same thing with Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Hinata didn't look away or blush or play with her fingers. She just smiled, as if Sakura just said something funny. _Did _she say something funny?

"Naruto-kun isn't trying to leave the cage."

* * *

><p>The next morning at breakfast, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the way Sakura was staring at him. It wasn't the usual stupid-looking love-struck look she always had around him. It was more intense and indecisive. Are all the girls around him going crazy, or something? He just tried his best to eat his eggs in peace.<p>

He saw that the Hyuuga was normal. Or at least normal-looking. It was somewhat suspicious, though, since he expected her to act timid and shy even in the way she ate. She had as much of a hunger as he did, and wasn't afraid to show it. Of course, she was still ladylike and polite, but her appetite was obvious.

"You haven't been too afraid to eat around Sasuke without us, have you?" Kakashi brought up.

Her face reddened.

"N-no! I-it's just..." she stuttered out embarrassedly.

_... It's just that I always seem to get hungry after corrupting someone's mind..._

Maybe she'll be fat by the time summer arrived. Even with her fast metabolism, it could be possible. In fact, she almost hoped that she'll get fat. Corrupting others always puts her in an extremely good mood. Good moods always make her make good food. Good food leads to more eating.

Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"I'm just teasing you. You didn't eat dinner last night, so it's only natural for you to be hungrier than usual," Kakashi replied.

"Here, have some more!" the masked-nin said, stuffing more bacon into Hinata's mouth.

Kurenai playfully scolded the Copy Ninja for this.

"Don't spoil my student. That's supposed to be _my _job," she responded.

Onigiri was shoved into Hinata's mouth next. She blushed at the strange attention she was receiving from the jounin, and chewed her food before swallowing. She shrunk down a bit. A competitive spark was in Kurenai's eyes.

Sasuke stared at the two jounin in disbelief as they began taking turns feeding Hinata by hand. What the hell? Does that Hyuuga girl have some kind of force field around her that makes everybody instantly like her? He took a curious glance at her two teammates. Shino had a dark aura around him as he chewed his food slowly. It seemed that he was the jealous type. Creepy.

"Oh? Don't tell me you're jealous, Naruto-kun!" Kakashi teased.

Naruto went wide-eyed, shaking his head frantically.

"Don't be shy! Just let Sensei spoil you!"

The pair of chopsticks holding fried eggs neared closer and closer to the Uzumaki. Naruto accidentally slipped off of the log, and fell backwards. Kakashi offered a gloved hand to help him up.

"B-back off, pervert!" Naruto yelled in defense, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Hn..."

Kakashi stared at Naruto with his one eye, considering the request. He turned towards Sasuke, smiling creepily under his mask.

"What about _you,_ Sasuke-kun? Will you please let Sensei give you attention?"

A pancake was thrown at Kakashi. Translation: Hell no!

"Ah... How about you, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi offered.

Sakura kept staring at nothing, then snapped out of her daze. She confusedly gazed at the person who was speaking to her.

"What?"

"I didn't hear a no!"

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Hinata volunteered to clean up like the good girl she was. She washed every plate until it was blindingly shiny and gave the frying pan a new glow. Everybody except her and Sasuke were in their tents, having conversations or just relaxing. Sasuke gazed at the Hyuuga in disgust. Her cheerfulness made him want to throw up.<p>

"What's with you, Hyuuga girl?"

Hinata obsessively dried a plate with circular motions, smiling at nothing.

"Why would you care, Uchiha boy?"

Her voice was noticeably much chipper than it was last time she said that line. In fact, it seems that she may even be nice to him today. Seeing her this happy and nice was disturbing.

"I'm serious. What the _hell _is with you?"

"Can't a woman have her mood swings?" she retorted.

At least she was still a smart ass.

"_Woman?_" the Uchiha echoed.

"I'm still more of a woman than Sakura is."

That's... Is she right? Sasuke had no idea. Well, she isn't as stupid as Sakura. He'll give her that. And her chest...?

She'll pass for a woman.

"Okay then, Hyuuga _woman_..."

"Whatever, Uchiha_ boy_."

* * *

><p>The awkward silence was filled by the squeaking of a dish cloth against a plate. It almost looked as if she was trying to shine it to use in battle as a mirror to blind her foes. He also noticed that her forehead protector had the same glossiness. Perhaps that really is her true intention. It was clever, actually. Sasuke would've never thought of it.<p>

"Y'know, there were ANBU tailing us," Hinata mentioned.

Sasuke scoffed. No shit. It's not like the Hokage is stupid enough to let three kids go on a possibly S-rank mission alone. A Sharingan-user, a jinchuuriki, and a Byakugan-user. What a pleasant trio.

"They're all dead," she chirped happily.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He remembered that line from when a doctor informed him that he was the only survivor of the massacre. A face instantly came to mind.

_Itachi... _

"How do you know?" he asked seriously.

"Nobody's stalking us. There used to be a bunch, then it plummeted down to one. Now it's none."

Done to none... She saw them with her Byakugan, didn't she? It seems that the ANBU underestimated her. But then again, that Hyuuga seems to have a habit of misleading others. Hinata laughed. It was a soft, gentle giggle that chimed throughout his mind.

"Your brother really likes massacre, doesn't he?" she joked.

Normally, Sasuke would've gotten mad instantly and attempted to murder the Hyuuga. This time was different from the others. The way she said it was too juvenile, too_ casual_. Like she said those kinds of things all the time and he just had to get used to it. That Hyuuga girl is a terrifying creature. Sasuke just grunted in response.

"I thought you would've been more pissed at me for bringing up your brother," Hinata replied.

He _should _be pissed. There was just something about that stupid Hyuuga girl that prevented him from snapping at her. Could it be the magnetic force field that instantly attracts people to her? He merely reasoned that it was because they both knew what hatred was. If she could deal with it so easily, then so could he.

"Would you be pissed if I brought up your father?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata stopped shining the plate. For a second, Sasuke thought that she'd throw the porcelain at him and start screaming and crying. Everything would make sense if she did that. It'd prove that she was crazy, not him.

But actually, they're both crazy.

Instead of breaking the plate, she put it into the bag where the plates belonged. Sasuke almost sighed in relief. If she snapped at him now, then all the blame would go to him. Stupid magnetic force field. The only thing Sasuke attracted was annoying fangirls.

"Everybody brings up my father."

Her eyes dulled and her smile disappeared. Sasuke suddenly understood what she meant when she said that she was "sick of being nice." Everybody looks down on her; even her friends. She got the same looks he did after his clan was killed. Pity, comfort, sympathy... Don't they know that that's what they_ loathe?_ It's because of those condescending looks that he became rude and angry, and she became shy and timid.

All they wanted was an equal, so they found each other.

"But you know, I just assumed you'd try to murder me if I brought up your brother in such a way. If you're stupid enough to follow a Hyuuga home, then you're obviously immature enough to snap so easily, Uchiha _boy_," Hinata resumed.

Sasuke frowned at this, but he was relieved at the same time that she recovered so quickly. And embarrassed that she brought that up so quickly.

"At least I'm not a manipulative bitch like you," he retorted.

She smirked at this.

"Why, thank you. I try my best."

"Do you _like _being a lying bitch?" he asked curiously.

Hinata let out a small laugh at this.

"Might as well take advantage of the stupid lies they created in their heads. To them, I'm sweet, innocent, pitiable, and would never hurt a fly. I'm just a traumatized child."

So she's not afraid to admit it. She was definitely right about one thing, though: she _is _a traumatized child. An evil, mentally unstable, _disturbed_, traumatized child. The way she fooled people so easily with her act was disgusting, but at the same time... Sasuke somewhat admired it.

"So, what exactly inspires you to be a bastard to everybody but me?" Hinata inquired.

"You're bitchy enough for the both of us," he stated.

There was a questioning look in her Byakugan eyes, but she soon accepted it. At least she knew she was a bitch. The other girls would've either denied it or cried about it. So annoying. But as much of a liar as she is, she never lied to herself, at the very least. The Uchiha really appreciated that.

"I guess every masochist needs his sadist," she teased.

Tch. Sasuke glared at her. But seriously. Why _is _she so fucking happy? And what the fuck is up with Sakura? Sasuke originally meant to ask the Hyuuga about it since only a woman can understand a woman, but it seems that mood swings are normal for them. A bit strange that the day Sakura is depressed is the same day Hinata is cheerful.

Oh. Wait. Could it be about yesterday? Whatever. She'll get over it soon. She should've just minded her own business. Sasuke shook the subject off his mind.

"So? What do I have to do to be "man" enough for you?" Sasuke inquired.

Hinata smirked.

"Oh, do you know who's "man" enough for me?" Hinata responded.

Sasuke suddenly regretted his choice of words. It's obvious what the answer was. "Naruto-kun." Kami! The one thing worse than a girl going on about her crush on him is a girl going on about her crush on _Naruto. _Sasuke is obviously better than him. Isn't he?

"Your _brother_."

Sasuke stared at Hinata in _shock. _She obviously crossed the line right there. No. She already crossed the line. Now she was just dancing on it. Still, he couldn't find any anger in his heart when she said that. Her tone was too light and playful to be taken too seriously. It's so strange. She's probably the only one that can pull this off.

"Fuck yourself, Hyuuga girl."

"I'd rather fuck _Itachi-sama._"

* * *

><p><strong>Review for me, children. I live on your reviews. And why is it that I always like making Hinata secretly a genius? I'm so weird. Meh! Whatever! Just keep reading!<br>**

**And review. Don't forget to review.  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Been a while, hasn't it? Yes? No? Who cares? All right!  
><strong>

**This chapter is longer than usual. More drama. Yay! **

**Enjoy~~~!**

* * *

><p>"No, I'm serious. He's<em> hot<em>."

A vein pulsed in Sasuke's head. She just _had _to bring that up. Geez, it's just like before the massacre, when the girls would flock to him because of his _brother. _Damn the genetics to hell.

"Shut up."

As irritated as Sasuke was, he still couldn't find the heart to snap at her the way he snaps at Sakura. Perhaps he truly is sick of being mean. He just needed one chance to break this cycle. It's just a test. Yes, a test...

Something isn't right, though. How does she know what Itachi looks like?

_Don't tell me... _

Sasuke seethed with intense anger. Anger that he should've felt earlier, but for some reason didn't. His Sharingan unconsciously activated and his fists clenched.

"You worthless _bitch! _Spill it out, Hyuuga girl. Tell me everything!" he demanded.

* * *

><p>Hearing these yells, the two's teams began spilling out of their tents to check the source of the clamor. Kiba and Shino loyally rushed to Hinata's side.<p>

Yes...

So loyal...

Like a dog.

Like Akamaru.

Ignorantly sticking by their master's side, growling at anyone who dares to pose a threat...

_Idiots. Blind idiots! _

"Oi, back off, Uchiha!" Kiba growled.

Although intimidated by Sasuke's fiery gaze of red hatred, Kiba stood his ground. Shino also stayed put, eyebrows furrowed at the Uchiha. Kurenai was behind them. Her presence was the most protective and savage.

Sasuke didn't care about Hinata's mindless slaves. He just needed to express this burning anger inside of him.

Kakashi peered nonchalantly at Hinata and Sasuke, but still on guard. The masked-nin had somewhat of a chance of standing up for his student, but it was obvious that he leaned closer to Hinata's side.

_Fools. She's playing them all. _

"Sasuke-kun! Stop!" Sakura yelped.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out.

His teammates know his bad side better than everyone else. They knew how violent and dangerous Sasuke truly was. That's because Sasuke only trusted them with his bad side. He had a good side, too. They just didn't know about it. Nobody knew about it. He didn't trust those dimwits with it. They have no right to judge him when they only know _half _of what he is.

Her teammates knew her good side better than everyone else. They knew how kind and gentle Hinata truly was. That's because Hinata only trusted them with her good side. She had a bad side, too. They just didn't know about it. Nobody knew about it. She didn't trust those dimwits with it. They have no right to trust her when they only know _half _of what she is.

* * *

><p><strong>That needs to change. <strong>

"You baka! Fool! Dunce! Dolt! Cretin! _Baka!_" Sasuke yelled.

There weren't enough words in the dictionary to express how Sasuke felt about her. His temper was indescribable, exponential, _insatiable. _He almost felt like destroying something. No, he _does _feel like destroying something.

"You're a worthless, filthy, good-for-nothing, burdensome, _irritating, _bitch! You need to go rot in hell!"

"_Sasuke-kun!_" Sakura shrieked.

Naruto began to hold Sasuke back before he did something that the both the of them would regret. Akamaru growled at Sasuke, setting up an offensive stance against the Uchiha. Kakashi stood up, sending a warning look towards his student. _"Don't you dare touch her."_

Sasuke stayed ignorant to them, just as they stayed ignorant to the truth of the situation. He clenched a shaking fist, staring at it. His heart was beating so fast. Adrenaline was pumping into his veins, giving him the rush of energy and power he needed to _murder _that damned Hyuuga girl. Nothing was holding him back from unleashing all of his fury.

The Uchiha ceased his barrage of insults and malign. For what seemed like an eternity, there was silence. The carefree songs of oblivious birds and the familiar wind gently teasing trees of green were brought to focus. Even their own breathing was amplified and emphasized.

"Why'd you lie to us?"

Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he heard this, staring deeply at Sasuke in order to decipher whether he was actually serious. To his and everybody else's shock, he _was _serious. The information couldn't quite process through their minds, though.

_Lie...? _

"Baka... _You baka!_ Why would you do such a thing?!"

_What is he... What? _

"You could've gotten hurt! You could've _died!_" he screeched furiously, his anger crescendoing once more.

_Is he... What? _

Despite all the doubts in their minds, one look into Sasuke's Sharingan-enhanced eyes told the truth. His eyes shined a different kind of red. No longer was it a ruby red of hatred and killing intent, but two pools of red-hot...

Something.

...

Concern?

"Are you an idiot? Are you trying to act like some kind of hero, sacrificing yourself like this?"

He hung his head, looking down at the grass below him. A fist trembled. Out of fear_. _That grass below him could've been stained with death and blood. There could've been a corpse staring back at him, with blank eyes and a mouth still agape from terror. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and shut his eyes tightly. Though, in vain, since even the dark wasn't enough to cloak the memories flashing back into his mind ever since _that night. _

"Don't you know that death is pointless?"

It was then that everybody understood the exact roots of Sasuke's attitude. They could feel the same stinging in their hearts as he did as he properly conveyed his emotions through his voice. At that moment, Sasuke's heart was an egg. The fragile, white outer shell cracked and revealed the vulnerable yolk inside. It was an egg hatched and cracked by a trauma, never to grow warm enough to properly produce a living creature. It was too cold to do anything but crack.

"_I'm not going to drag down anybody else important to me!_"

Naruto released his clutch on his friend, a stupor written clearly across his face. He didn't know how much of a burden he held inside that egg heart of his. _Nobody knew. _All this time, he was afraid of losing those dear to him. _Just like him. _

As alike as the Uzumaki and Uchiha were, they still weren't the same. Sasuke already knows what it's like to have everything disappear in the blink of an eye. He lives in fear every day, afraid of history going through an endless loop. Naruto hasn't experienced that yet. With his naivety, he continues to fearlessly step towards everything he believes in without the shadows dragging him back. Naruto didn't have any shadows. He was pure light.

"S-Sasuke..." he whispered out.

That's all he could do: call out his name. Naruto didn't even know if his words reached the Uchiha. The screams deafening his ears most likely drowned out everything around him.

* * *

><p>However, in the midst of the shrieks and sobs, one person's voice penetrated through Sasuke's ears. It was a soft, cheerful chime of laughter with enough blackness to overpower all blackness. Only Sasuke was able to recognize it as Hinata's. Nobody else was familiar with this side of her except him.<p>

"Wow! Just as I expected! You really _are _a simple-minded baka, aren't you, Sasuke-san– no, _Uchiha boy?_" her arrogant words spilled out.

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked up at the Hyuuga girl. A dainty hand of hers was covering her lips, attempting to conceal the smirk that was coated with mirth. Somehow, her superior sunny aura was enough to shine past the tension of the weakness Sasuke confessed to. Now it was time for Hinata to show her cold-hearted strength.

"You say you hate death, but you chase after your brother's. You say you don't want to drag anybody down, but that's exactly what you're doing right now," she pointed out coolly.

Her fingers were as good as transparent, because they could already imagine the presumptuous pair of lips that continued to overflow with her sadism. She kept on guffawing at the tragedy that was Sasuke's life. Salt was poured onto his reopened wounds. Hinata's face suddenly became serious, and she straightened herself.

"Listen up, Uchiha boy: I'll tell you truth since your heart has been tainted with lies. If I didn't lie, there would've been death and you would've dragged us down with your idiotic pride. I wasn't sacrificing myself; I had an actual plan," she explained.

"Instead of relying so much on your egg of a heart, how about you use your brain? Your brother may be a monster, but he's not a savage. He's not the type to bother himself with weak animals like you and me. The only animal he's targeting is a _fox_."

Hinata didn't dare give a small glance towards Naruto. She already knew what he was thinking. Her eyes were trained on the Uchiha, hoping that she was getting her point across. It sickened her that he had so much of an ego to think he was on par with an S-rank criminal. He had his head in the clouds. It was her job as a Hyuuga to drag him back to the ground, where he belonged. Clipping wings is her specialty.

She sighed heavily, then turned her back on him. She can only clip wings, but never have a pair of her own. The one that was truly dragging everybody down was her. Because she couldn't have his fate, then he would have hers. Even after revealing herself, nothing is going to change. She's weak. Now she's a weak jerk.

But at least she's not alone.

"The lion took pity on the mouse, and set the frail creature free. That's because strong creatures unconsciously let their guard down around weaker ones, and end up placing some of their trust in them. The tall look down on the short. That's nature..."

* * *

><p><em>He had an intimidating aura, yet such a gentle touch... His gaze was cold and dark like the night sky. Her eyes shone like the moon, with her resolution waning and waxing. He crouched down to her level, no longer looking down at her, but eye to eye. Her heart fluttered at this. <em>

_The moon sees all. _

_She knew he already saw through her. He didn't even need his Sharingan to see through her illusions. _

_The night sky cloaks it. _

_He didn't tell, though. Willingly, he cloaked the truth in darkness._

* * *

><p>A monster, but not a savage.<p>

"He told me something," Hinata announced.

She suddenly noticed how quiet it was. It was almost embarrassing, how intensely they were paying attention to her. Before she ruined her perfect composure, she kept her mind fixed on the dire news that Itachi told her.

"What'd he say?" Sasuke prompted, getting straight to the point.

"Ah... Well, he told me not to tell."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He was back to being angry. How could he _not _be angry at that baka Hyuuga girl? She should be _dead _right now. Whether by Itachi's or his hand, it didn't matter; she should just be in the burning hell where she belonged. She wouldn't even know she was in hell when she got there, thanks to her _ghastly_ sense of boundaries.

She should be dead.

But she's not.

Why?

Seriously– _WHY?!_

"I don't give a shit about the magnetic force field. I'm going to _murder _you," he vowed.

Hinata giggled at this joke. At least he lowered his standards. He should pick a side, though– does he want her dead or alive? How bemusing. How _amusing. _

_And what does he mean by magnetic force field? _

"Just remember this, Uchiha boy. Death may be pointless, but life is a burden. Feel free to leave the village anytime. You'll get killed by that Curse Mark, anyway."

* * *

><p>With that, Hinata proceeded to leave the group on a high note. Meanwhile, everyone else was stuck on a silent one. They didn't know exactly how to respond to their discovery of Hinata's newly discovered arrogance. Or has she been this way the entire time? She is from notorious Hyuuga clan, after all. They cursed themselves for subconsciously underestimating her all this time.<p>

It's exactly as she said. "The tall look down on the short." She's been trusted all this time, without them even considering the possibility of her using this against them. Sakura, in particular, regretted disclosing information regarding Orochimaru and the Curse Mark to her. It's always the one you least expect.

A good side born from a bad side.

A bad side born from a good side.

Fear began to bloom in their hearts. In time, it'd be fertilized and an apple of chaos would be harvested. Once Hinata sank her teeth into it, they'd fully realize how _wrong _they were.

For once, Naruto was speechless. This side of Hinata was so _bold _and _dominating. _To think, who knew sweet little Hinata would say such things! More importantly, who knew sweet little Hinata would _know _such things? From the start, Hinata knew about his deepest, darkest secret– yet she still accepted him. Or at least he thinks she accepts him. She couldn't have been lying about what she said during the Chuunin Exams, could she?

Then again, everything he knew about her could've been a lie. He didn't even know anymore. His entire perspective was now upside-down. Maybe Kurenai and Asuma are secretly dating. Maybe that dead friend of Kakashi's is really alive. Maybe his dad is actually the Fourth Hokage. Hell, Itachi could even turn out to be a good guy! Geez, he couldn't believe it!

This new side of Hinata was such a mystery. It brought a myriad of mysteries to surface. So many questions he wanted to ask her...

The thing that left the largest impression on Naruto had to be Hinata's smirk, though. And her voice. And her eyes. Overall, it was the aura that encased her. Mysterious, dangerous, teasing, dark, bright, inferior in a weird superior way, honest, deceitful, tough yet gentle... There were so many traits that conflicted with each other, yet somehow managed to harmonize into one _badass _personality.

Naruto's state of silent shock didn't last long. Soon, he found himself fumbling and tripping over words that didn't quite make sense.

"Damn... It's just... Damn... Just... Damn! Believe it! Except I can't believe it, dattebayo!"

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"You're a bad influence on her, Kurenai," Kakashi blamed.

He received a swift kick to his kneecap, and instantly collapsed. The masked jounin writhed in pain on the ground.

* * *

><p>Hinata laughed awkwardly to herself, vainly attempting to create a diversion for herself as to not think about what just happened. She made certain not to walk too far from the campsite. It'd be a headache if there was a repeat of occurred yesterday. She didn't have any lies prepared yet.<p>

Once she was at a small clearing far enough, she let herself fall apart. Her face was flushed to the very tips of her ears as she acknowledged how she acted not too long ago. She collapsed and rolled around on the fresh earth.

"KYAAA! S-S-So embarrassing!" she lamented to herself.

_Kami-sama... They all heard me! Naruto-kun, too! He heard what I said about his secret! I'm not supposed to know! I'm not supposed to know a _lot _of things! Now they know I know! They all saw how rotten I really am! Kami-sama! They're all going to hate me! I'll never be able to face them the same way ever again! And that Uchiha boy's brother... Oh Kami, I'm a traitor to the Leaf Village! I'm going to be banished from my clan and the village! No, I'm going to be _executed! _I should kill myself! I need to kill myself! IYAAA!_

Her heart kept beating as she thought about her own death. Yes, suicide is probably the best option. It'll be extremely shameful and cowardly of her to die this way, but it's a death she deserves. Or she could even fake her own homicide. Either way, she couldn't continue living.

Hinata ceased her rolling as she contemplated her dark side. The first one to know about her "black" side was Neji. Hinata had a horrible personality as a child. She became softer when she met him, though. Neji was the first one who reached out to her and called himself her family. That's when she changed and became afraid of the darkness deep inside her frozen heart.

When did it resurface? It must've been the Chuunin Exams. He betrayed her; he tried to _kill _her! The one person she cherished and looked up to the most had tried to put an end to her. The thing is, she knew she deserved it. She should've died that day. Hinata started to become bitter and cold again. Everybody commented upon how noticeably distant she became.

Why does it have to be this way? Why is it that everybody had to look down on her? Why is it that she had nobody to see eye to eye with? Why is it that she always had to play catch up? Why is it that she never felt truly equal to anybody?

For one day, _one second, _can't she feel proud of herself? Can't she happily announce that her name is Hyuuga Hinata? Can't she leisurely walk beside someone at a steady pace? Can't she freely smile and laugh without any restraint? Can't she have an equal for once– just once!

_Is it really impossible for me to love and be loved back? _

She continued her jeremiad, rolling around again. Pitiful! Shameful! Pathetic! Her list of woes was infinite.

_Eh... Why am I complaining so much, though? Didn't that Uchiha confess that he was worried about me, in his own socially awkward way? _

She paused, contemplating the fact. And then after that, she called him a simple-minded baka. Hinata suddenly began laughing again, musing over her cruelness. Maybe that's why she'll never get a boyfriend.

"Gehhh..." she groaned.

Sulking is a horrible habit of hers. She should be more concerned about what Itachi told her. Speaking of Itachi, she couldn't get his face out of his mind. Kami... Ah, and what about Naruto and the Kyuubi? And that Curse Mark? And the fact that all of this is connected?

_I should really train._

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Kurenai decided to lead the discussion of Sasuke's and Hinata's unexpected outbursts. Sasuke had already retired for the day, sporting a headache from stress and activating his Sharingan too often. The Uchiha prayed dearly that they ignored what she said about the Curse Mark. He, himself, didn't understand why she said he'd be killed by his Curse Mark. It itched and ached from time to time, but he never figured it'd actually be dangerous enough to be the end of him.<p>

"First of all, what the heck did she mean by_ fox?_" Kiba brought up.

Shino caught notice of Naruto shifting around nervously. He was too easy to read. The Uzumaki must know _something _about this "fox." That's because his blue eyes seemed to be avoiding anybody's gaze, and it looked like that he wanted to disappear from the conversation entirely.

"Naruto?" the Aburame prompted.

Naruto suddenly flinched from hearing his own name. He bit his lip as he conflicted over something. It was certain that he had something to do with this fox. He laughed nervously, as if that smile of his was enough to shine over the shadow he desperately strive to conceal. The more light provided, the darker the shadows.

"S-Sorry, guys. I dunno what she saying, either. Sounds scary, dattebayo!" he answered.

His knowledge of the topic was extremely evident from his laugh, stutter, and anxious use of "dattebayo!" According to these symptoms, Naruto just wasn't ready to spill what he knew. In response to this, Shino nodded understandingly. If he didn't want to say anything, then Shino wouldn't press any further. Naruto was appreciative for this, smiling in a silent thanks.

"She hates us, doesn't she?" Sakura murmured.

"I could feel the well-hidden killing intent deep inside of her. She's been ready to turn her back on us the whole time, and we didn't notice. We just trusted her and tried to spoil her. She's going to get back on us for that," the pink-haired kunoichi warned everyone.

Kiba and Shino nodded in agreement. Naruto's eyes widened. He began to wave his hands around wildly, denying this.

"What are you saying, Sakura-chan? Hinata would never do such a thing! She might've been kinda pissed before, but she's still the same Hinata we all know, right? It can't all be a lie. I trust her!" Naruto debated.

Sakura, Kiba, Shino, and even Akamaru didn't seem to be persuaded by this. Kurenai decided to step up to support him. Hinata is still her student, after all– through thick and thin.

"She lied to protect, since Tsunade didn't foresee a few things," Kurenai declared.

Kakashi noted the lack of the -sama prefix as she referred to the Fifth Hokage. Those two seemed to still be on bad terms. He didn't blame her, though. Kakashi was also a bit annoyed that she would go behind their backs like this. Their students were basically used as _bait. _

"That's right. It's a good thing that she's cunning. She saved your ass, Naruto," Kakashi supported.

Despite his frantic words, Naruto stared up at his sensei with apprehensive eyes. The masked-nin hadn't fully persuaded him or the other genin that Hinata's actions were justified. _Their _thoughts were justified, however. With that biting aura earlier, Hinata's true persona is sure to be put into question.

"I trusted her," Sakura murmured softly.

Naruto didn't clench his fists, knowing that he had enough anxiety to crack each knuckle to the point where even the Kyuubi couldn't repair it. Although impressed by the authority that Hinata grabbed hold of, he feared it just as much. He _felt _the darkness, the darkness that wasn't consuming her heart, but _was_ her heart. It couldn't be described as the hottest of angers, nor the coldest of hatreds... What he felt was simply the dark itself.

Without realizing it, he found himself dashing at top speed towards the direction Hinata disappeared into. Trees were dodged by a sliver of a hair, the bark scraping his orange jacket slightly. He wasn't concerned with the infinity of questions he had, because he knew he'd find the answers. A small smile tugged at his lips at the thought of not being able to discover what he needed. Naruto just knew deep in his heart, in his guts even, that Hinata would tell him.

_We're friends, aren't we?_

* * *

><p>Hinata was laying down on the ground, with her jacket separating her from the dirt. Her arms were in front of her eyes to shield the pesky sunlight attempting to blind her. She decided that training wasn't necessary <em>all <em>the time. It was nice to just be able to sit back and relax for once, instead of having a million thoughts bounce in your head at once. The smell of slightly damp earth invaded her senses. Her fluffy jacket was incredibly soft, tempting her into a nap. At least the damned thing had more than one use, other than to hide her body from everyone.

_Neji-nii-san always likes meditating in the garden... Maybe I should try that, too. _

When the subject of meditation came to mind, the first thing Hinata thought of was breathing. Neji mentioned that controlling your breathing was a key part of meditating. She began to listen to her breathing, also noticing the wind that blew through the leaves of trees. Such a lovely sound the wind creates, but she didn't remember having such heavy breathing. It almost sounded as if she were doing heavy exercise. She doesn't have asthma or any lung diseases, so that possibility was ruled out.

Curiously, she removed her arms from her line of vision. She expected sunlight to blind her, but it didn't. Instead, there was another bright light in front of her.

She let out a small squeak, and her face started to burn.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she yelped out.

He was _literally _on top of her, panting. Why does he always have to be so freaking _close _to her? This probably looks so wrong! She covered her face with her hands, attempting to conceal the bright red blush engulfing her entire face. That boy has no boundaries!

"Hinata! Please... tell me... right now..." he requested feverishly in between pants.

She screamed at herself in her mind, demanding that she do anything _but _focus on his or her breathing. For once, she wanted to distract herself with limitless problems and depression. She wasn't going to faint like a stupid little girl right after showing off her dangerous side. It'd just ruin the image she just set up.

"P-please, Naruto-kun! Get off of me!" she nearly shrieked.

Is he...? Kami-sama, he's _straddling_ her! What's more, he decided to take away the fingers shielding her face and pinned both of her hands over her head. _He has no shame._ Naruto has _no shame_, whatsoever.

_Kami-sama... God... Destiny... Fate... Whatever is deciding the future, I know you hate me, but if someone walks in on this right now, I'll _murder you.

"Hinata, I need your answer right now..." Naruto pleaded.

He had such an honest, innocent, desperate tone that nobody would ever refuse. One look at his disturbed pools of blue sky would be enough to read his thoughts. Unlike most people, he was painfully direct. He was blind to the position they were in, only focused on the objective in mind he needed to fulfill.

Hinata was forced to stare deep into his eyes. She unwillingly read every thought and emotion he had, adding to her own messy pile. She almost winced at how overt he is. It stung, being a corrupt, hopeless soul in front of someone who faced as much pain, but overcame it easily. He reminded her just how burdensome and useless she is.

But she loved it.

Thrived on the pain, almost.

She _is _a vain creature, in both aspects of the word. Hinata had to remember that before she became too conceited, too ignorant to realize that Hiashi wasn't the only one to blame. Naruto could've been engulfed by the same shadows as her, _but he didn't. _Hinata _chose _to be the oppressive person she is today. This was something she had to chain herself down to just to prevent running away from. This was her own choice.

Who is she to look down on how naive he is? Who is she to shun the light, insisting that the only truths lie in the dark?

She'd be less of a Hyuuga and more of an Uchiha if she did that.

Not that it mattered.

She just wanted him

**OFF. **

"I can't answer _shit _with you on top of me," she hissed.

She only let a sliver of her "black side" show, but that was enough for Naruto. He decided that squatting next to her was good enough. Hinata sighed in relief, and sat up. She was sorry that he had to see her like this, but that kid really needs to learn that she appreciates being a safe distance away from people.

However, she also felt that she might have been too harsh on him. He's probably disgusted of her split personality now. Everybody must be. From here on out, she won't be trusted by any of the people that once claimed to be her friends. Ino and Sakura will whisper malign behind her back. They'll all avoid her and make certain to ignore her, like a bothersome fly that refused to leave them alone.

Not that she was popular and well-loved before.

"I... I'm sorry!" Naruto apologized, frantically bowing down.

Hinata cringed when he bowed down. She didn't mean to instill fear into his heart; she just wanted him off of her. She dreaded how overly cautious he suddenly became with her. All she wanted to do was get her feelings across.

_I really am a failure. I can't even get the simplest of tasks done. _

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata mumbled softly.

Naruto looked up, beaming eagerly at the Hyuuga. Hinata stole a quick peek at his face, then just as quickly looked away. She didn't think she'd ever be able to look at him directly for more than three seconds. She envied his light too much.

Bright.

Shining.

Direct.

Warm.

Just like the sun. Hinata, on the other hand, is the moon. They're opposites that were never meant to coexist. Each had their own territory, and boundaries are never to be crossed. Hinata let her eyes shut.

"You know what happens at the end of that tale? With the lion and the mouse?" she asked.

Naruto nodded solemnly. He scratched the back of his head as he remembered the details.

"Yeah... Ero-Sennin told me the story once."

* * *

><p><span>Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O King," cried the little mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I mat be able to do you a turn some of these days?" The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go. <span>

Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the roped that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.

* * *

><p>"I don't really get the point of the story, though..." Naruto admitted, scratching his head.<p>

Hinata smiled at his foolishness. Even in such a situation like this, he was still able to make her smile.

"The mouse repaid its debt to the lion," Hinata explained.

Naruto's eyes widened at this. He stood up, too troubled by this to stay seated.

"Y-You're going to save a lion from a bunch of hunters?" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief.

The blonde became even more bemused when Hinata started laughing at this. What's so funny? Saving a lion from hunters is dangerous!

"Yeah..." Hinata answered.

"Even if it was just on a whim, even if no favors in turn were expected... The mouse never took it for granted. The mouse didn't scorn the lion in his time of need."

"_Because the mouse wanted to get even. The mouse wanted an equal_."

* * *

><p>A certain silver-haired medic-nin chuckled silently to himself as he heard of Hinata's resolve. A thick genjutsu cloaked him to ensure that he wasn't sensed or spotted by the two. A dark brown cloak further concealed his body, the hood draped over his head. His glasses caught the light of the sun, casting an eerie white glare.<p>

_That's quite amusing, Hinata-chan. You should know, though: I'm no King of Beasts. _

_I'm a bat_.

* * *

><p><strong>Enjoyed? I hope you did.<br>**

**So, about those Aesop Tale references... The story about the lion and the mouse has already been explained, so no need to worry about that. I totally copied and pasted the story from a website, lol. **

**At the end, when the medic-nin calls himself a bat, (I think you already know who he is...) that's another Aesop Tale reference. It's from "The Bats, The Birds, and the Beasts" tale. Look it up yourself, you'll learn something. **

**Make sure to review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So this friend was all like, "PSHH! YOU CAN'T KEEP A DIARY. YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO WRITE." **

**And I'm all like: "BITCH PLEASEE. OF COURSE I CAN WRITE." **

**Then she's like, "OH YEAH? FINISH 2 CHAPTERS OF ANYTHING. RIGHT NOW. WRITE NOW. BEFORE YOU GET BACK TO SCHOOL." **

**_And then the challenge was fucking accepted._ **

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

><p>Sasuke is only a part-time insomnic. He was usually able to sleep easily, unless something was bothering him deeply. Recently, that seemed to be the case, but he <em>refused <em>to accept that it was the Hyuuga girl that was on his mind.

The full moon was too bright. The night air felt too nice. Yes, that's probably it. It would be a waste if he spent the night sleeping. It's not like tossing and turning would lull him to sleep faster, anyway.

He crawled out of his tent. He was right in his judgement. Summer nights are always the most beautiful, in his opinion. Every individual dot in the sky sparkled like the stars they were. The natural fragrance of moist earth and background chirping of crickets helped calm his nerves.

On nights like these, he always found Itachi on the porch. His brother would always have his eyes focused on the sky, and the sky only. Two cups of iced tea were always by his side. Itachi never sent him away and told him to go back to sleep. Instead, he'd invite him to sit with him.

_"Nii-san? Why do you always have two cups of iced tea with you?" _

_"It tastes better to drink something that's lost its initial coldness than something that's lost its initial warmth." _

_"Why two?" _

_He hesitated before giving his answer, averting his gaze from his younger brother. He returned his stare to the stars above. A deep sigh escaped his lips. _

_"I get thirsty, Sasuke. That's all." _

He shouldn't be thinking of such things, especially at night. Nighttime was when he was most vulnerable, simply because of the fact that he's left to his own thoughts. Sometimes that's why he doesn't get enough sleep, and other times that's why he gets too much of it.

He'll just get a drink of water at the waterfall and then he'll try to go back to sleep again. He didn't plan on watching the moon the sun came up. It's better if he's in top condition tomorrow, in case it was decided that they would continue the mission.

* * *

><p>The waterfall was enchanting, like it belonged on the cover of some fantasy book with fairies and unicorns. Moonlight was reflected off of the water's surface, embellishing each ripple. The shadowy rocks framed the waterfall.<p>

On the edge of the water, Hinata stood, her sandals and jacket laid neatly to the side. Sasuke wasn't too surprised when he saw that the Hyuuga girl was also up. She probably had her own bad dreams, her own internal conflicts. Looks like they had one more thing in common.

"You're not going to throw a fit at the water again, are you?" he teased.

To his disappointment, he didn't startle her. What a shame. It'd be fun watching her slip and fall into the water. That's something Naruto would do, though. Hyuugas would never do such a thing. They're always aware of their surroundings. However, Hinata seemed different from the rest of her clan. Normal Hyuugas don't blush over morons.

"Sorry, you're too early for the show. I was about to go skinny-dipping," she responded.

She sounded like she was serious about that, but Sasuke didn't pay any mind to it. He wasn't about to imagine her naked and let things heat up into one of the scenes in the book that Kakashi always reads. He's definitely not going to blush like some girl in a shounen manga, either. "Keep your exhibitionism to yourself, idiot girl."

He was somewhat relieved that they were still exchanging retorts as usual. He thought that it would be extremely awkward between them ever since what happened earlier. Surprisingly, they were able to move on easily. This is especially shocking when you acknowledge that their life goals include never letting go of something that happened in the past.

Whatever she felt, she's good at masking it. And here he thought that all girls were disgustingly honest about their emotions. But Hinata doesn't count as a girl, does she? She acts and blushes like one, but in truth, she's actually a _creature from Hell_, just like her teacher.

"Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of exhibitionism, then?" the Hyuuga curiously replied.

_Is that her confession as an exhibitionist? _Funny, he thought she was the modest type of girl. Yet another innocent view of her has been crushed."_Like I care. _Anyway, what's got you up?"

She sat down and let her feet wade in the water. Her eyes were kept focused on the falling water. "I took a nap earlier. My sleep schedule is now screwed up," she answered.

That's stupid. He also assumed that she was uptight and strict, yet right now, she looks laidback and relaxed. It did make some sense, since she might have already given up on pleasing the people around her.

Despite appearances, she must be worrying about something. It's as clear as the sky that she has more to say than what she speaks. A million thoughts were probably flooding her mind, tailed closely by a billion insecurities. It's impossible for her to not be bothered.

Not that he cared. Why would he care? All of her problems are her fault. If she wanted to be recognized, she could have been. She would have shined. There's no reason for her to seek the attention of his older brother. She doesn't need _him _to applause for her.

Sasuke took a seat next to her and stared at the same rushing water as her. He watched it splash into foaming whiteness, continuously falling down. He put his hand on her shoulder. Surprised by this, Hinata looked at Sasuke questioningly.

Unlike Naruto, Sasuke didn't have to smile at her or yell any words of encouragement. She didn't have to watch him stand up after falling down to spark inspiration in her heart. She felt satisfied with him just sitting there, next to her. Not particularly happy or comforted, but just satisfied.

_And then the little bastard pushed her in. _

* * *

><p>Naruto was abruptly jolted from his dream world by a scream he recognized only as Hinata's. He hurriedly crawled out of his tent and saw that he wasn't the only one who heard. They were all on edge and alerted. All traces of drowsiness left them.<p>

"That was Hinata," Shino stated.

"No crap!" Kiba replied. The thought that immediately came into his mind was _Akatsuki. _Hinata was stupid. She let her guard down and decided to trust a criminal. So stupid!

Sakura had her head poked into Sasuke's tent. "Sasuke-kun is gone too!" It _must _be the Akatsuki for Sasuke to be gone too.

"Those damn Akatsuki..."

Kiba sniffed the air. Akamaru barked twice. "They're nearby! At the waterfall!"

* * *

><p>They found the two together, just as they expected, but it didn't turn out as they thought it would. Somethingwas happening alright, though. <em>Something<em> indeed.

Hinata was in the water, blushing like a bride. It looked like she was pushed in by Sasuke, who was sitting calmly at the water's edge, gazing distantly at the waterfall like a man contemplating the meaning of life.

"Wh-What was that for?" Hinata stuttered out.

"I'm giving you attention," he deadpanned in a completely straight face.

"_Wh-What?_"

"You were asking for some, so I gave it to you."

"I-I n-never..."

"Girls are just bad at saying what they really want. You said you wanted to go swimming, anyway."

Although confused by their arguement, Naruto rushed to help Hinata out of the water. He stretched out his hand for her to grab.

"N-Naruto-kun..." she whispered. After some hesitation, she took his hand and he pulled her up. He stared at her, just to take in the sight. Her clothes were a shade darker and her hair was clumped together with water. She looked cold, but her shivers were surpressed. She kept her face down, flushed with embarrassment.

Naruto then shifted his gaze to the perpetrator. He was doing horrible at his job of being the peacemaker between the two. But after the incident earlier, it was less clear on whose fault it was.

Did Hinata say anything?

What did she even say earlier that caused Sasuke to yell at her?

"I'm giving her attention," Sasuke repeated.

_What the _hell _is going on? _It would've made more sense if they were screaming at each other right now.

Naruto sighed heavily, taking on the role of the straight man for once. And maybe the role of the sarcastic one, too. He snickered at Sasuke. "Y'know, Sasuke... If you _really _want a girl to like you, you should just be honest about your feelings. Flowers, chocolate; that kind of crap. But you know, I really had no idea that Hinata-chan was your ty— _OH SHIT!_"

_Splash. _

"Take your own advice, _idiot_."

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata squealed out.

Akamaru growled and barked. Kiba nodded in agreement. He was beyond pissed that he was woken up for no reason. "Damn right! Stop flirting and go to sleep! We're on a _mission_, ya know!" Kiba scolded.

Kakashi chuckled to himself. "Oh, you kids..." He shared a glance with Kurenai. It seems like Hinata and Sasuke are getting along better than they thought. Kind of.

Sasuke scanned the faces around him. The Hyuuga girl's scream managed to wake everybody up. "Since we're all here, we might as well talk about earlier."

Naruto crawled out of the water and took off his jacket to dry. He stared at Hinata with apprehensive eyes. This was the perfect opportunity for her to reveal his secret. He acted as natural as he could while he tried to change the subject. "Hey, can't that wait until morning? We're all tired, y'know."

Sakura nodded. "Y... Yeah..." For once, she disagreed with the Uchiha.

Both Naruto and Sakura had secrets that they weren't ready to let Hinata spill. She has had enough with limits. She'll tell everyone that Naruto is a monster and let Sasuke know that it was the Haruno that told her about the Uchiha's Curse Mark.

"No. Let's talk," Hinata obliged.

Naruto looked down and caught sight of his own trembling hands. He could already hear Hinata's voice announcing that he was a monster that the Akatsuki wanted to use. _I'm not ready. I'm scared. I'm a monster. _

Hinata looked up to the sparkling darkness above them. "I'm sorry... I'm falling apart."

So it _has _been bothering her? Sasuke rolled his eyes. What a weird creature she is. She insults someone with all her heart, and then regrets it later. If she's going to do something like that with full intentions, she shouldn't look back and apologize. It's only a mistake if you decide it is.

"_Don't be_," he simply stated.

Hinata's lips curled into a smirk. What good advice that Uchiha boy gives. She kicked him into the water.

"Then I won't."

Caught off guard (like how she always manages to catch him), he wasn't able to make a counterattack. Cold water swallowed him. A sudden gasp filled his lungs with water. He quickly swam to the surface, coughing.

He hated her. _A lot_. She needs to die. _A lot. _

Kiba burst out laughing. This was actually extremely hilarious. This Hinata isn't that bad. The bastard got exactly what was coming to him. Hinata was finally learning the word "confidence."

"_Do you have a death wish?_" Sasuke hissed out.

She slipped on her shoes, grabbed her jacket, and walked away before he could say anything else. Sasuke had a feeling that she truly didn't want to discuss matters. Ever. Without words, she perfectly conveyed her message. _You've had enough hints. Now go solve the riddle yourself. _

Their relationship — it changed. From now on, they won't just be throwing comebacks at each other. That incident earlier is going to be one of many. He could feel a gap growing between them. Not that they were close in the first place, anyway. The Uchiha looked around him. He's the only one that noticed Hinata's growing distance. Everyone else is starting to get used to it.

Isn't that sad? She's walking away from them, but they don't stop her. It's right in front of them. But of course they wouldn't know. Sasuke is the only one who _knows_ what it feels like to have somebody drift farther and farther away from you. It can even happen overnight.

"Come back." She stopped. Sasuke barely realized that it was his own lips that formed those words. He didn't miss the slightest sigh that left her lungs. She must be annoyed at him. Dumbass. _He's_ the one that should be pissed.

Hinata watched Sasuke rise out of the water. She gave a quick glance to Sakura, who the former assumed would be squealing at the sight. It's amazing that she wasn't. The pink-haired genin seemed to be praying. As soon as Sakura's green eyes caught her pale ones, Hinata turned away.

Sasuke's eyes, on the other hand, had a certain determined glimmer in them that made Hinata nostalgic about something. She couldn't put the feeling into words, but she knew it made her want to cry. And the first thing that came to mind was: the Chuunin Exams. She needs to stop reminding herself of that time, lest she becomes a masochist.

He beckoned her near him with a smirk. It made her heart sink. She didn't even know why. She could only recognize the sadness threatening to plunge her soul. Her palms were hot with sweat.

"We don't need words. We'll just let our actions do all the talking."

That sounded... really... _romantic. _Hinata turned back around and kept on walking. He was challenging her to a fight — her brain could register _that _much — but her heart didn't seem to agree. She had to get away from him as soon as possible.

"What the hell? Are you running away?"

_I don't even know why. I don't know. _

She said she would change. She said she would stop running away. Yet, right now, she knew she wouldn't be able to uphold those promises she made to herself. One by one, they'll all shatter. As she continues to run more and more, she'll end up stepping on the shards of broken promises with her vulnerable feet. Footprints of blood will forever follow her.

She glanced over her shoulder to look at the Uchiha's face. He was confused. Hopefully, he'll stay that way. He should never be able to understand the feelings she's feeling right now.

Hinata smiled at him.

"Forgive me... Sasuke-kun. Next time, okay?"

* * *

><p><em>Sasuke tugged on Itachi's sleeve. Itachi was startled. He didn't even hear his younger brother approaching. The older Uchiha looked down at his brother. <em>

_"Nii-san! Play with me, Nii-san!" Sasuke begged. _

_Itachi chucked at Sasuke. He poked Sasuke's forehead. _

_"Forgive me, Sasuke. Again, next time." _

It's a lie. It's always a lie. All Itachi could do was _LIE LIE LIE. _He specializes in genjutsu, after all. Yet the only one who suffered was Sasuke. He was never able to capture his older brother's interest long enough. As a result, Itachi continued to leave him behind, as always.

Sasuke's fists clenched. Not this same pattern again. He's already had enough of this crap. "Shut _up! _What kind of bullshit are you trying to feed me, huh?"

Hinata was taken aback by Sasuke's aggressive reaction. Bullshit? She didn't know what he was talking about. Surely he couldn't be talking about the promises to herself she had yet to keep...?

"Ano... Sasuke-kun, I..."

He walked towards her. He's not going to be left behind by _her _of all people. Soon, they face-to-face.

"_I don't give a shit! _Enough with your excuses! Right here, and right now: fight me."

It shouldn't be a surprise to her that he's challenging her _again. _Still, she couldn't oblige. It's not the right time or place for this. Hinata had no idea when or where it _will _be, but they were still on a mission.

Plus, keeping what Itachi told her in mind, it'd be safer if they withdrew right away.

_"... Hontōni? Aka itsumo no yogore."_*** **

Kiba was confused when Hinata looked over to him. Is he supposed to intervene? She looks like she has things under control.

Sasuke answered Hinata's statement by getting into a fighting stance. The single-minded look in his eyes said it all. There's no way he's going to back off now. Right now, this is a matter of pride. He won't let the damned Hyuuga girl make a fool out of him.

Sakura nudged Naruto. "Aren't you going to say something, Naruto?" Naruto of all people should be reacting to this turn of events.

The blonde shook his head. "I don't get what's going on, but... I think this is something only the two of them can settle." It's really weird. Despite meeting only a few days prior, those two were on the exact same page while everybody was clueless.

_I guess I'm jealous, huh? Hinata is doing a better job than me with keeping Sasuke under control. _

_Or maybe they're _both_ going to end up far away from me. _

However, Hinata didn't want to fight at all. Especially not with everybody's eyes watching her like this, _expecting_ something out of her. She felt the pressure overwhelming her. For some reason, Kurenai and Kakashi were allowing this to happen, too.

She let out a shrill whistle. Sasuke flinched. Akamaru swiftly took a shuriken out of Kiba's weapon pouch with his teeth and flung it at Hinata like a frisbee. She caught it, then held it to Sasuke's throat in a flash. "I win," Hinata declared.

Kiba's mouth went agape. "Wh-What the _hell?! _When did you teach Akamaru that? And how come _I _don't know about it?" Kiba glared at the dog. "_You traitor!_" he accused Akamaru. Akamaru wagged his tail and barked happily, as if he was being praised for a good job.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "You call _that _a win?" That wasn't a fight at all. That's just playing frisbee with a dog. And then she threatens him with a shuriken, of all things? Why not a kunai?

"I'm just skipping the unnecessary parts, and... now I'm playing my trump card. Since you didn't counter it right away, that means I won because you hesitated," the Hyuuga explained.

The spectators sweat-dropped.

_What kind of weird logic is that? _

"It's not a _fight _if you don't _fight_," the Uchiha argued. Seriously! She must not even know what the word means.

Hinata pressed the sharp point of the shuriken against Sasuke's neck. "We're skipping that," the Hyuuga responded. Sasuke was beyond pissed now. The shuriken should've drawn blood from him by now. If it were sharp, that is. She's threatening him with a _dull blade. _

She's really making a fool out of him. "You don't just skip the fighting part, baka!" That Hyuuga thinks she'll be able to slip out of this with a small trick. She _can't. _He won't allow it.

Hinata refused to acknowledge his side of the argument. "It's been skipped. The fight is over."

"There was no _fight _in the first place!"

"Because it's been _skipped._"

They're splitting hairs just discussing this. Hinata didn't get why he wanted to fight her so badly. Well, maybe she pissed him off a little, but he had it coming. She dropped the shuriken. "Do you hate me, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked seriously.

_Sasuke-kun_. She's calling him Sasuke-kun. Not Uchiha boy. He didn't notice her change of name-calling before because he was used to being called Sasuke-kun. He wasn't going to fret over insignificant details like that, but he just found it weird that she was calling him Sasuke-kun now.

Her question, though. She was asking _Sasuke-kun _if he hated her. That wouldn't change his answer. A rose by any other name is just as sweet, they say. "No _shit_," he responded. His opinion of her should have been obvious, yet she was curious of it anyway. It's stupid.

"But do you really hate _me? _My very existence, my aura, the way I breathe?" she asked him. "Or... do I remind you of someone else you hate?"

_Someone else you hate. _Itachi. Yeah, she did remind him of his older brother when she turned her back on him and said to wait until next time, when she tried to feed him an optimistic lie. He's sick of that. But what are these questions going to prove? That he's broken and hates loneliness?

"Why would you care, Hyuuga girl?"

She looked at him, with eyes she never looked at him with before. With a name she never called him before. With a voice she never usually talked to him with before.

She was acting the way he thought she really wasn't, but he knew she wasn't fibbing with him. Even if everybody is watching them, it didn't change a thing, because she was talking to _him._

"I just," she started, "thought it was really childish how stubborn you are about fighting me. Like a little kid wanting attention from his older sibling so badly."

_Damn it_.

He fell for it again.

From the I'm-gonna-kill-you-stupid-Hyuuga-girl look Hinata got from Sasuke, she could tell that, well, he wanted to kill her. She didn't mean to insult him, though. It was just an observation.

After all, she used to have a big brother figure she looked up to. _Neji-nii-san. _He was the Hyuuga prodigy, and she thought that was cool. She wanted to be like him, strong and cool and all.

_But honestly, I'm still the same..._

"Ano... It's just... nostalgic," she admitted.

Fear not, for Shino is here to clear up any misunderstandings the audience may be experiencing. "That's because Hinata has a younger sister named Hanabi. However, it is evident that they're not close. Therefore, Hinata must be referring to Neji, whom she refers to as 'Neji-nii-san.' It is assumed that they used to be close like siblings, and that the must have played together frequently. She must have craved his attention, which is being referenced by calling your behavior nostalgic."

_Used to _be close like siblings. That's weird. When Sasuke followed Hinata and she ran crying into Neji's arms, they seemed close enough already. Something happened between them that changed their relationship. It looks like it's recovering, but it's a fact that it'll never be the same. That's pretty... interesting.

A dark, life-sucking, depressed aura engulfed Hinata.

_E... E-Evident that... w-we're not... close..._

Is it so obvious that even outsiders know that there's a wall between the Hyuuga sisters? Hinata _wants _to be close with Hanabi. She wants to try, and sometimes she does, but she fails every time. Yet, she persists with the concept of them being close like actual sisters. Hanabi doesn't even care how far they are from each other.

But he was wrong about one thing. She and Neji were never close. He was from the lower branch, and she was from the main branch. That was enough to maintain the gap between them. Despite that, Hinata still admired him. It was a one-sided relationship on her part.

_We were never close. _

_The gap between us just kept growing more and more blatant... _

Her teeth clamped down onto her lip. It's going to be the same with Hanabi, isn't it? And then _that's it_. She'll have no family left. "I'm sorry, Shino-kun... The only reason why it's nostalgic to me is because..."

_... I used to break vases to get attention, but then I was hit for it. _

But what she really wanted to say was: _... none of your _fuck-damn _business. Screw off!_

Not that she'd ever say such a rude thing to him. It's understandable that he'd assume that they used to be close. Whatever assumptions they had about her and Neji didn't matter, as long as they caught the gist of it — they could've been closer, but they're not. "J... Just don't talk about it. There are some things you just don't mention," she informed not only Shino, but everyone.

"Isn't that hypocritical of you?" Sasuke accused. For fuck's sake, she called his older brother _hot. _She danced on a line that nobody should ever cross, yet she thinks she can set up boundaries?

She gave him a saccharine smile. "I'm sorry. I do it only for you."

Maybe patronizing is her new way of annoying him. That honey-coated smile was probably fake, created out of _hellish _intents. Despite that, there was still reason to believe in it. _A promise and a rule. _Like he _needed _her undivided attention.

The Uchiha clicked his tongue loudly. He turned his face away from her, looking up at the sky that sparkled like a black diamond. "_Shut up. _Don't treat me like a child," he replied curtly.

She was still smiling at him. "But we're all children. We're all still too young for this. That's why we can still say 'next time' and procrastinate things."

Too young. That's right. Itachi was young, too, when he was saying those words. He was their age. Maybe that's why. Was he afraid of the future? He always liked taking things slow. Does he hate the thought of growing up? But he was already grown up. _There's still a future. _That's what she was saying.

Sasuke smirked. "Except for our teachers, that is." He turned just a little bit to see Hinata's reaction. Her hand was covering her lips. That means she's laughing.

Then, he caught Kakashi and Kurenai's death glares. An overwhelming menacing aura wafted around the two jounin. They weren't fond of Sasuke's light-hearted humor.

"Alright, kiddies. Bedtime. _Now_."

* * *

><p><strong>*Aka itsumo no yogore — Red always stains. According to Google translate, at least. It's a pun on Akamaru's name. You know, Aka meaning Red. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review~! **


	9. Chapter 9

**H-Hey guys! Yeah, I lied about how reviews would make me update faster. They do brighten my day, though. **

**I was kinda in a rut. When was the last time I even updated? Geez... But! I've discovered the joy of writing again, so hopefully the next update will be a lot quicker! My writing has improved, too. I think. Well, anyway...**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

><p><em>Everyone gathered around Kakashi, who wore a messenger hawk on his arm. The bird's talons dug into his arm. He faked a hidden smile. "Good morning, Sachi-chan..." he greeted the bird. Kurenai began to untie the intricate knot that held the slip of paper to hawk's leg. <em>

_Sasuke gave the bird a special interest. It had a beautiful, majestic coat. Its breast was puffed out proudly, showing off its speckled cream chest. Seeds of chocolate brown drops rained down its back. A burnt red colored its tail-feathers. As he studied its sharp beak, curved downwards like a sickle and ready to pierce a snake's belly, the hawk cocked its head towards him. Honest, amber eyes, just like their Hokage. He stared the hawk down, until it squawked at him. The cry was abrupt and sudden, making Sasuke jump a little. _

_"You two. Knock it off," Kurenai scolded. Sasuke found himself embarrassed for picking a fight with a _bird_, and quickly looked away to pretend that his little moment with "Sachi-chan" never happened. However, he found himself turning his head towards Hinata, who in turn gave him a confused look. No. He does not have a thing going on with Sachi-chan. She can stop staring at him like that, now.  
><em>

_Shino, thankfully, decided to cut to the chase. "What does it say?" he inquired. _

**_Return immediately._**

* * *

><p>"Sasuke and Sachi-chan sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!" Naruto sang as they hopped from tree to tree.<p>

"First comes love!" Kiba sang along.

"Then comes marriage!" Naruto continued.

"_Then comes baby in a baby carriage!_"

Sasuke hopped ahead of them, trying to get far away so he didn't have to listen to their repulsive rhymes about bestiality. He was positive that inter-species sex and marriage isn't legal, and sure as hell would result in a disaster. Marriage rights would be questioned, animal rights would be brought up, and the whole thing would blow up into a whole international crisis. Like hell he has time for that shit.

Sakura, thankfully, was on his side. He heard Naruto's yelp behind him as she delivered punishment to their teammate. She also took the liberty of giving Kiba a similar treatment. He really should appreciate her more. She always respected him and gave him his space when he needed it. Everything she did for him was out of concern. Even if it got annoying at times, she still deserves to be acknowledged as his teammate. "Thank you, Sakura..." He didn't know if he was loud enough for her to hear, but he still said it.

However, Hinata's giggle was surely loud enough for all to hear. Sasuke glanced behind him. He wasn't even curious as to why she found his "thank you" so hilarious. She's a weird person with weird humor and weird mood swings. He was dismayed to see that it was actually Naruto that sparked her laughter.

Her laugh was so different from her usual giggle. Her giggles were usually suppressed and short, fitting of her usual personality. When she laughed, it lasted long enough to burn it in your memory. It didn't sound like something that would come out of her sweet, innocent lips. It was louder, but still melodic like wind chimes, and dark and solid like bittersweet chocolate. As it faded away, the chocolate melted on Sasuke's tongue for him to savor. He found it strange that it sounded exactly like the laugh she had when he was yelling about her safety. "What the _fuck_ are you laughing at, Hyuuga girl?" he accused sharply.

She bit her lip, which looked like it was itching to mock him, but the smile on her face only bloomed again and she covered it once more. Sasuke tasted his tongue becoming sour when he saw Naruto snickering at him too. Those two are definitely ganging up against him. What could Naruto have possibly said to make her laugh like that, though? Then, Sasuke realized that that _evil_ noise spilling from her lips was probably her true laugh. But how could have _Naruto_ pulled that off?

"See, pretty-boy! I'm obviously better with girls than you! Take some advice from the love-master!" Naruto boasted.

Sasuke glared a thousand daggers at the blonde. Those sounded a lot like fighting words. He turned his head away from the challenge before any suspicions of him being in a love-triangle with him and Hinata rose up. He'd be damned if he let his life turn into one of Kakashi's romance novels. "I'd rather marry the hawk," he sassily remarked.

Sakura stared at the back of Sasuke's head. _So... Sasuke-kun is into girls with good eyesight? I need to eat more carrots! _A whisper of a "Shannaro" escaped her lips as her new resolution rang throughout her mind. She was convinced that she would be Sasuke's wife, since Hinata still likes Naruto and recalling the fact that Ino needed glasses when they were nine.

Shino fervently pondered what the filth-ridden joke was that Hinata found so funny. He's right next to her, whispered in her ear, and staked his claim on her. Yet, none of this seemed to phase her. From what he knows, Hinata's real sense of humor is darker than a crow flying through the night on a blackout.

Later, he came to the conclusion that the joke must have involved cannibalism.

* * *

><p><em>Filthy, filthy liar.<em> Kisame knew, after too many years of experience, to never judge a book by its cover, but that Hyuuga girl looked way too fragile to even be a ninja. Yet, in the face of two S-ranked criminals, she weaved a _disgusting _story that was obviously fabricated. He had to admit that he was impressed by her guts, but _Kami-sama, _it was such a filthy lie. His sword Samehada was getting queasy just listening to it.

Jinchuuriki? Oh no, that's just a Shadow Clone. The Jinchuuriki is grounded, but Shadow Clones are totally allowed to tag along on missions. Yup. Ignore the fact that it's difficult to control Shadow Clones from long distances, and they were miles away from Konoha, because it's definitely a Shadow Clone. Totally!

"I really can't believe we let her get away with that bullshit, Itachi-san," Kisame grumbled.

"She's a genin," Itachi stated.

A genin. Well, that softens the blow. Kisame should be complimenting the little Hyuuga girl, actually. Thanking her, even, for preventing a conflict between the two Uchiha brothers. He didn't mind seeing siblings fight, but Itachi's behavior was quite... peculiar... the last time the brothers had a reunion. Neither Kisame nor Samehada could detect exactly what felt off, but Itachi was emitting a strange aura and it's common sense to not anger an Uchiha, lest you want to feel their wrath.

Yet, Itachi never seems to show wrath. Even when he broke his brother's wrist, Samehada couldn't feel anger. When he kills, it's an emotionless murder. It's almost as if he's some kind of killing machine. Usually, S-rank criminals at least enjoy getting blood on their hands, but Itachi was different. Kisame liked that. He didn't know why, but he liked that his partner was different from the rest of the Akatsuki. One-of-a-kind.

"We're not aiming to capture the fox just yet," the Uchiha reminded him.

Kisame chuckled, merely nodding that he knew this fact already. "You're taking an interest in that Hyuuga, though. Do you want to recruit her? We have an empty slot still waiting to be filled," he replied.

"_Two_," Itachi begrudgingly corrected.

"Oh yeah. Well, you know how Kakuzu is..."

Kisame could almost sense Itachi's eye-roll. The Uchiha found it annoying that the task of recruiting new members fell on his shoulders, despite the fact that he didn't earn the burden. His passive-aggressiveness was similar to a scorned woman trying to play love games with an oblivious boyfriend. He now cooperated with others in the form of _riddles. _

"... So?" Kisame prompted.

"Does 'Akatsuki' refer to the red moon we hunt under, or the supposed dawn that we'll bring?" Itachi tested.

Damn it. A riddle. Itachi obviously wants to drop the subject. Still, Kisame wanted to persist with the topic, so he accepted the challenge. He's been getting better at these, lately. "We are the Dawn that comes after the Red Moon."

"Indeed, we are the night: from dusk, 'til dawn. Do we come before, or after the day?"

Okay. So far, Kisame can follow. "We lead and follow, as necessary."

"Do we lead the rays of sun, that spotlight the peace? Which animal are we to trap in this day?"

The sun must refer to the Hyuuga. He didn't know about the spotlight or peace, but he knew that the animal to be trapped was talking about their target. It all ties together as some kind of pun. _Snakes are cold-blooded, so they need the sun to keep warm..._ Kisame mulled over this, then started to connect the dots. "You warned the Hyuuga about Orochimaru for her to act as bait for us?"

Itachi refused to say anything more, so Kisame assumed that he was correct. What an interesting plan that the Uchiha has concocted. The Hyuuga knows that they're not after Naruto, but they _are_ after Orochimaru, who's after Sasuke, so if she attracts the Snake-Sannin, then the they will be able to capture him, and they'll both benefit from the deal. _Genius. _

After giving Kisame enough time to figure out his intentions, Itachi added in more information. "The Leaf-nin are currently on their way to return to Konoha. Orochimaru is on their tail. All we have to do is follow, then complete the mission. We're _protecting_ the Leaf-nin."

_**The lion spares the mouse, then the two work together to take down their common enemy: man.**_

* * *

><p>Hinata constantly kept an eye on her surroundings. She scrutinized every shadow and twig for a hint of any hidden enemy. She almost seemed to be expecting it. Sasuke glared at Naruto, who was right at her side, probably just to piss her off. When will their next break be? He needs to talk to her alone, like always. She and Itachi obviously made a demonic deal with each other. But for it to even work out, there has to be some big mutual benefit. She couldn't possibly be thinking of joining Akatsuki, could she?<p>

Damn their reputations; it was flushed down the gutter already, anyhow. He sped up until he caught up with Hinata, and pulled her arm so that she was closer to him. "_What kind of meeting did you arrange?_" Sasuke whispered. He caught Kiba nudging Shino in the corner of his eye, and Sakura... was pissed, for some reason? Does she notice, too?

Naruto pulled Hinata's other arm. "Trying to win her back, huh? You're so cute, Sasu-chan!" the blonde teased.

Hinata's face reddened. Somehow, she managed to find herself in a love triangle. She began to crack her knuckles. "A-Ano... Ano sa... W-We're not... dating, Sasuke-kun... I-I mean! Not yet! I-I mean... Ano...!" She was fumbling to find the right string of words to get herself out of this awkward predicament.

"That's not what I meant, you stupid Hyuuga girl!" he snapped. He found himself looking away. Is there a way for him to tell her without informing the others? He turned back to her.

He held up two fingers. She tilted her head, but nodded. Another finger was added. She stared at his hand and her blush started to burn hotter. "... Five? Or, two to three?"

No! He's not trying to ask her out! Two is ni, three is san. Nii-san. His brother! Damn it all! He didn't even want to see what the others' reactions were.

"Your annoying cousin. What do you call him?" Sasuke prompted.

"E-Eh? Ano... Nii-san...?" Hinata answered.

Sasuke tapped his nose to signal she was correct, like in charades. Still, Hinata expressed her confusion clearly on her face. He wanted to face-palm. She was incredibly hopeless. It's probably safer for him to wait until they reach their break, but he didn't know if they would even be able to get to that point.

Sasuke sighed. Maybe he could just wait. It would be easier for them to discuss his brother during a break, anyway. He shook off the topic, and started with a fresh one. "When did you start calling me by my name?"

Hinata separated her hands from each other. "Haven't I always called you by your name?" she replied. She was trying to act natural and ignore the possible feelings they could have for each other, which is intense hatred and nothing more because they really fucking hate each other and that's it. That's_ it._

"No. It was always _Uchiha boy_ this, _Uchiha boy_ that, and _'I just wanted milk from the grocery store' _and _'Why would _you_ care, Uchiha boy?'_" he said, mimicking a high-pitched, bossy voice.

"The milk was for my father, Sasuke-kun. My dear, late father..." she responded endearingly.

Sasuke smirked. "He's not dead, yet."

"I know, but he sure is late for being a father."

Sasuke chuckled. Word-play and bastard-father jokes. Always a classic. His laughter quickly faded. She's extremely bitter, to be able to make these kinds of jokes about herself. Her black humor seemed to revolve around _We're all going to die anyway, so why not? _She must make herself sad by bringing up these things so often. Maybe she's forgetting how to cry, so she tries to laugh to compensate. Maybe she's looking for color in blacks and whites.

Naruto seemed to finally understand that they were having an A and B conversation, and started to drift from the pair. Sasuke became silent. The three of them don't even know what a parent's hug feels like, whether they've forgotten or just never knew it, and they're stick in this triangle of _something they don't even understand but joke about anyway. _Birds of a feather flock together, they say.

"What do you do after missions?" the Uchiha asked.

"Cry," she deadpanned. "Why?"

Sasuke looked away. He didn't want to see whatever dead look she had in her eyes. He didn't even know why he was asking. Is he trying to ask her out? _This is stupid._ He's just bored and thinking too much because he has nothing better to do. "Never mind... Do you play any instruments?"

"I might've said this too many times by now, but... _Why would you care, Uchiha boy?_" she inquired. It's turning into a catch phrase, now. If she was asked to sum up their entire relationship with each other, that's what she would say. He bothers her with a million unnecessary questions without even knowing his own intentions.

"I don't know. I'm bored. Do you?"

"They tried to teach me piano, but I was horrible at it. I can read music, but I can't apply it," she answered.

Noble clans usually teach their children how to play instruments, don't they? It's a great skill to show off at boring parties. "Yeah. I can play piano, too. Pretty well, actually..."

_I don't _caaaaare_, Uchiha boy. Nobody _caaaaares._ Shut_ uuuup!

"How well does your brother play?" Hinata asked, purposely trying to stab him in the side by bringing up Itachi.

"Shut up."

"Maybe you should take your own advice."

"Go to hell, Hyuuga girl."

"Since you're still talking, I think I'm already there."

* * *

><p>After their arguments died down, Hinata went back to scrutinizing their surroundings. Sasuke also decided to glance around him, and realized that something was amiss. He stopped the both of them and activated his Sharingan. Hinata, in turn, activated her Byakugan.<p>

They're under a genjutsu. The two weaved a hand sign to release themselves from the illusion. The trees surrounding them burst into glowing feathers, and they were suddenly on the edge of a grassy cliff. Snakes slithered towards them, of all different sizes and colors. Their fangs glistened as they hissed.

Sasuke reacted quickly and weaves quick signs before he spat out a fireball to decimate the snakes. The fireball rushed forward and burnt the snakes to a crisp. Then, it dispersed into nothingness, like how a shooting star seems to disappear into thin air. In the middle of the blackened earth and scribbles of ash that used to be snakes, stood Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin approached the two. "Ever so sharp..." he complimented.

Sasuke took a step back. _Was she expecting him? _He looked at Hinata to question her, but he saw that her eyes were still focusing at something distant, as if still searching for the true enemy. He suddenly felt a burning on his neck, as if he were being branded with _that _symbol all over again. His hand instinctively went to cover it.

A cloaked man appeared behind Orochimaru with a whirlwind of flames. "Quite the pair, aren't they? Uchiha and Hyuuga. You'd think that their heritage somehow linked them through fate, but actually, their clans have no special connection," he mused.

The veins around Hinata's eyes immediately contracted back to their original form. She was surprised to hear a familiar voice from a past she didn't regret or want to remember. "K... Kabuto-senpai?"

Kabuto chuckled. _Really, I never expected her to actually call me that, but it's nice to know she still remembers me. _Although, it is a little sad that she has to finally shatter the good image of him that she had in her head. It's even sadder that it won't be one, but two names to erase from the "Good Guy" list.

* * *

><p>Hinata turned around, her back facing the S-rank criminals. She almost forgot. Even though he bothered her so often, he didn't need her by his side. They both had their own goals to chase after. This is where the road splits to a fork. They're similar, but not the same. She closed her eyes. "You could go, if you want."<p>

A hollow began to carve itself in her heart. How strange. Did she get attached to him this quickly? They met on Tuesday, and it's Tuesday again today, so... they've only known each for a week. She found that impressive. He got to know sides of her that she would have never shown to anyone else in a lifetime. She didn't even know she was truly capable of showing those sides, but he went against the odds and proved her wrong.

She thought that she was only a background figure. It was okay for her to cry after every failed missions, because someone else would always have enough successful missions to compensate. Everybody knows what her sobs sound like, but now they know what her laughter sounds like. The Uchiha got to see her lies, her cruel jokes, her teasing...

But Sasuke hasn't seen her cry before, has he?

That's hilarious. She didn't even think she had anything to show to a person except her tears. But, right now, she would officially let him know how hideous she really was when she wept in selfishness. She sniffed. _I'm not even going to miss you. _A flood from her eyes released into rivers. _I'm just being scared and stupid again. _The rivers became drops of rain that fell onto the ground. _This is just how I usually am. _

"That's it? You're not even going to follow?"

Hinata started to break out into noticeable sobs. Sasuke didn't turn around to watch her succumb to her emotions. She almost thought that he was hinting for her to stay with him so they could continue walking together. "I-I-I-I'm... s-s-sorry... I have... other pri-priorities..." Her disgusting crying shook her words.

Sasuke fumed at her choice of words. "_Priorities?_ You mean Naruto, right? Do you even care about your dead mother? Your shamed reputation?" He didn't know if the sobs that grew louder were supposed to make him feel better, but they sure didn't. She's supposed to give him a snappy comeback. She can't even form coherent words because she was crying too hard. She shouldn't be _crying!_ There's no need for her to act weak and innocent around him! He wanted to yell at her to shut up, but couldn't find the heart to.

_This is so annoying. _Sasuke doesn't even need her. From the start, killing his brother has been his purpose of living. He said he would do whatever it took to achieve his ambition. Leaving behind his village is just another step to his success, and that step involves leaving _everyone _behind, and his past along with them. There's nothing special about that Hyuuga girl. He can continue on without her just fine.

Sasuke finally turned around, then turned Hinata around too. He tilted her chin up so that she wasn't staring at the ground anymore. Sasuke wiped away her tears so he could get a better view of her eyes. He gazed at her pale, lavender eyes and saw something familiar: the fear of losing a loved one without being able to do anything. Finally, he held out his hand.

"Goodbye... Hyuuga Hinata. This is the last time we'll meet," Sasuke declared.

Hinata broke out into even worse sobs, uselessly trying to wipe away her flowing tears. Everything felt so final. Like the end of the book. Sasuke was familiar with the sensation, which is why he hates reading. It's not the end of the book, though. It's just the end of the last chapter they'll share with each other. The story _will_ continue.

Sasuke grabbed Hinata's hand. "_Promise me_. Promise me, that you'll keep on walking forward, and not right off that cliff. No matter how much it hurts inside to cling to your goals, find a way to achieve them anyway. I want you to succeed. Okay?" Slowly, Hinata shook her head yes. "Good..."

He started to shake her hand. She stabilized her grip and made sure the shake was firm. This made Sasuke smile. They both released from the handshake at the same time.

Then, Sasuke turned around to confidently stride towards the first sentence of his new chapter in life. Hinata wiped her tears to get a more clear vision of the last time she'll ever see him. There's no use in burning a blur into her last memories of him. Her lips curled into a smile. _He's such an arrogant bastard. _

"Goodbye, Hinata."

"..._ Hontōni? Aka itsumo no yogore._"

She rushed up to him and stabbed a kunai firmly into his back. Sasuke let out a grunt of pain, widening his eyes. Itachi and Kisame suddenly appeared behind Orochimaru and Kabuto. Itachi held a knife to Orochimaru's throat and Kisame had his sword planted in the ground next to Kabuto. Kabuto fell to to his knees, finding that his chakra had been drained away in an instant. "_The stained Red Moon has risen_," she whispered.

_... They were in cahoots the entire time? _Before Sasuke could react to the stab, Hinata released a burst of chakra into the ground through a solid Gentle Fist strike, creating a large crack that separated them from the S-ranked criminals. After a few seconds, their part of the cliff crumbled off, sending them hurtling towards the ground below.

Sasuke's heart became a drum roll, awaiting the impact of him and Hinata hitting the ground. A suicide mission. Hinata held a firm grip around Sasuke's body. He was unable to maneuver them into any position that would save their lives. He racked his brain for any kind of jutsu that could save them, but all he could do was stare at the clumps of dirt still falling from the edge of the cliff Hinata tore them off of. The sky framed each clump, bright and blue with wisps of white.

The situation was almost ironic. He thought he was saying his last goodbye to _her_, but it turned out to be his last goodbye _forever. _It looks like they'll be spending their final chapter _together. _Sasuke took a deep breath before he screamed out his last words.

"_**I FUCKING HATE YOU, HYUUGA GIRL! MOTHERFUCKING BITCH! FUCKING, FUCKASS, FUCK, FUCK, GO TO FUCKING HELL, FUCKER, FUCK...**_"

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it!<br>**

**PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEAAASSSEEE REVIEW. YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW HAPPY IT MAKES A FANFIC WRITER TO GET A SHITLOAD OF EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT REVIEWS ON THE STORY SHE IS MOST PROUD OF. **

**This fanfic is my pride and joy. And review my other stories, too, please! Well, no, you probably won't, but... Mehhh... Worth a try? **

**Until next time. (Which will hopefully be very soon.)**


	10. Chapter 10

**JOLLY LATE JESUSMAS PRESENT FOR YOU GUYS! **

**I should have posted this chapter earlier today, but I was busy. But here you go! Long chapter for you guys. **

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

><p>After a long string of profanities, Sasuke and Hinata ended up falling into a deep lake. The dark coldness engulfed the two. Hinata expected this, immediately swimming up to the surface. She took twenty seconds to gasp for breath before she activated her Byakugan and dove back under to retrieve Sasuke. Luckily, swimming and diving underwater happened to be some of the few subjects in the Academy she got aced.<p>

She grabbed his arm, then swam to the surface as quick as possible before she ran out of breath. Relief flooded her veins when she heard his coughs and gasps. They floated while Sasuke caught his breath, then began to make their way to land. The two panted and gasped as they flopped themselves onto the ground. Sasuke was still choking out curses and swears. He bit his lip. His Curse Mark was still itching, and the stab wound on his back throbbed like hell. He sat up, still panting.

"Do you... want me to take care of the stab wound?"

"Yes."

Sasuke immediately discarded his thoroughly soaked shirt. By instinct, Hinata felt the urge to look away, but resisted because she owes him this much after literally stabbing him in the back. Hinata crawled towards him and took out a small tin container from her leg pouch, then set it to the side. She ripped a piece of cloth from her pants to help clean around the wound. Her eyes were glued to the mixture of blood and water that trickled down Sasuke's back.

"Oh. That's right. Cold water makes you bleed faster, doesn't it?" she recalled.

It was just another day she had to herself when she decided to take a stroll in some of lesser known parts of the Konoha Public Library, in the section only known by "OTHER." She saw a white book with no title on its spine and curiously took a gander at it. The cover spoke of no title either, and much less an author. She opened the book and found small, intricate patterns of scribbles on every page. She knew they were words, but she found it difficult to decipher the scrawls, which slanted down because the writer had trouble writing on a blank page with no lines to guide his nonsense.

She sat herself down on the floor, not bothering to seat herself to a table, and began to work the gears in her mind to decipher the code. The handwriting was far from crude, but it was fancified to the point of illegibility. She flipped the pages, in a hopeful search of something less of a strain for her eyes. Occasionally, she would find certain scribbled crossed out, numbers, quotation marks, and a splatter of ink. At one point, the writer gives up completely on attempting to write in straight lines and fills the pages with a swirl of curled scribbles. As she realized that the scrawls were in the same style throughout the book, she hypothesized that it must have been written in a mad rush in one sitting. She's kept a diary before and knows that one's writing develops as they grow older.

Time was too flammable in her hands. She swore that she fell through a time warp. The sun was in the midst of its journey to the western horizon when she entered the library, yet when she exited, that flaming ball of light had barely peeked out of the eastern horizon.

The white book described an omnipresent fear of going blind in the dark. Death was a recurring theme that the writer gave thirteen dimensions to. Death of a pet, death of an ally, death of an enemy, death of a family member, death of a friend, death of a rival, death of a lover, death of a ruler, death of a follower, and death of life. Hinata found herself having to put down the book, still opened so as to not lose the page she was on, and pace in a circle to let each funeral that never existed sink into her mind.

And then she cried as she mourned Uncle Hizashi again, because the one million previous times deserves to be doubled and tripled until he earns what he deserves.

She kept on reading. The writer became an author, and her favorite one, at that. Unknown, but well-informed of reality and illusion. When he took a break from the stories that led to more stories, because somehow Hinata could only picture the author as a tortured young male, it was to continue the list he started at the thirteenth page. Seventy-two ways to kill, regardless of the intended victim or victims. Homicide, suicide, genocide. Mammals, reptiles, fish, birds. That's where she learned why her novels of depressed people always slit their wrists in bathtubs of cold water.

"You're not supposed to freak your patients out," Sasuke grumbled.

"You're also not supposed to give yourself patients by stabbing people, but at least I have the _patience_ to deal with them." Ba-dum-tsss.

Hinata opened the lid of her tin container and scooped up a generous amount of ointment, emptying the container. She gently rubbed it onto Sasuke back. He clenched his fists, letting out an anguished grunt from gritted teeth. Steam from the healing wound rose.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad. I thought it was pretty _pun-ny_," Hinata joked.

"Shut the hell up. You're not helping."

Hinata smiled. I should never become a medic-nin. Ever. "The ointment only heals enough to close the wound. Anything under the skin hasn't been healed yet. Luckily for you, I didn't aim for any major arteries. Just don't move, or it will reopen. There's no more ointment left, so I can't help if you start bleeding again."

"Hn..."

Hinata laid her jacket out to dry. She wrung the bottom of her shirt. Could she have forgotten anything else? It's sunny enough so that they don't have to worry about hypothermia. She didn't have any warmth to offer him, anyway.

She activated her Byakugan to check on the S-ranked criminals. They're gone. She kept quiet of this knowledge, feeling merciful enough to not give Sasuke another thing to fret over. She deactivated her bloodline limit. For now, all they had to do was wait

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. For once, Hinata wanted Sasuke to pester her with a multitude of questions. In times like this, him trying to pry into her life would be comforting to her.

"Are you angry?"

"Fuck off."

Hinata instantly shut her mouth. Once again, she crossed the line. This time was different, though. She interfered with his plans to join Orochimaru to gain the power he needed to defeat his brother. No, she didn't just interfere; she helped crush his plans completely with the help of his brother. Plus, she stabbed him in the back and lost the remnants of the trust he had in her.

He should be glad that she didn't take Sakura's suggestion and gouged his eyes out, though. She sighed, deciding to show some mercy and give him some thinking time. She still needed to come up with an excuse to tell their teammates, anyway.

As if reading her mind, the Uchiha addressed this issue. "We're going to need a story to cover this up, won't we?"

Hinata was surprised that he was talking to her so soon, even if it was just for them to come up with an excuse to tell the others. She expected him to stay mute for a good 24 hours or so.

"Give me your hand."

Hinata suddenly began to hate herself again. Although some traces of frustration were still evident, he had willed himself to stay calm and forgive her, despite everything she has said and done to him. His voice was soft, yet firm, like a father taking his child out to ice cream after yelling at them too hard and causing them to cry, like the receding waves after a typhoon.

Deciding not to cause any grief for him for at least 48 hours, and maybe do something nice for him later, she walked to the front side of him, took a knee, and offered her hand to him.

She stared at her hand. Minutes ago, that hand had Sasuke's blood on it. She felt guilty for not feeling guiltier. The blood was gone, and all she had left was a memory. She didn't even know why she stabbed him. Never in her life has she felt her tongue lacking moisture, thirsting for blood. Did she get too lost in the moment? Does she hate him? But that's impossible. The only person she has to hate is herself.

"Turn around," he instructed. Although confused, she complied without a word, withdrawing her hand. He twisted her arm behind her and snapped her left wrist in one fluid motion. A loud crack echoed.

She bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming out, eventually causing her lip to bleed. Electric jolts of pain shocked whatever broken or twisted bone she had in her wrist, as if it were a vulnerable metal rod in a field during a thunderstorm. It burned like two sticks creating friction with one another to start a fire. Hot tears welled in her eyes.

The first thought that entered her mind was that he must really fucking pissed at her. Yet, she still had to admit that she deserved every crack and pop in her wrist.

Guess they'll call it even for today.

* * *

><p>Hinata stared out of the window in the Hokage's office that gave a marvelous overview of the village. Tiny dots of lights from homes and stores sparkled. The night shaded everything darker than its original color, save for those lights. Those lights were strong enough to retain their own color, and then shine brighter. She took an obvious effort to avoid eye contact with Sasuke, who sat next to her.<p>

Tsunade sat in her desk. Her elbows were propped up and her hands were folded. She didn't know what to say. All in all, everything that happened on the mission was her own fault. She couldn't scold Hinata for taking an extreme risk to protect her teammates. It was necessary, thanks to her faulty planning. She bit her red-painted lip. There's no way she could reveal to them the bigger plan behind the mission. Her amber eyes traveled down to Hinata's wrist, which was cradled meticulously in arms and covered by the sleeve of her jacket. "What happened to your wrist, Hinata?" the Hokage asked, her voice quieter and gentler than the genin expected.

Hinata looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as if she was assured that she could hide her broken wrist forever. She hesitated before giving her answer, letting her eyes fall to the floor. Surprisingly, she said her accusation confidently, as if her wrist was an expensive vase in an art museum that one of them accidentally knocked over. "Sasuke-san broke it."

"After you stabbed me in the back," Sasuke added.

"After he jumped off a cliff and dragged me down with him," Hinata finished. Sasuke stared at Hinata. _That's our story?_, he thought, thinking she could do better than a random, violent fiasco.

He went along with it anyway, amending his own bits into the story. "There was a lake below. It's not like I was dumb enough to kill the both of us."

Hinata wanted to roll her eyes. So he's going to take credit for my cleverness? Immature, but it doesn't matter. She shifted in her seat to feign embarrassment. "Y-Yeah... Sasuke-san had to save me from drowning, too..."

Tsunade stared, horrified and shocked by their explanation for her broken wrist. The two were surprisingly violent, as if they hated each other's guts, yet they seemed completely fine being in the same room together. She strung the entire story together in her mind. So, Sasuke jumped off a cliff and dragged Hinata down with her, so she stabbed him in the back, but he thought things through beforehand and they fell into a lake when they landed, which Hinata did not expect and caused Sasuke to save her from drowning, after which he broke her wrist for stabbing her. Honestly, she has had crazier things happen to her from adventures she had while drunk and running from her debts, so she accepted the story.

One question, though: "Why did you jump?"

Hinata stayed quiet, fresh out of ideas. She decided that it was Sasuke's turn to speak, so she left the duty of answering the question to him, since the question was addressing him. He took the cue, and looked to the side, regretting the moronic answer that was about to leave his lips.

"I wanted to fly."

Tsunade let his words melt into her mind. _He wanted to fly... huh?_ She nodded. "I see. Sasuke, you're dismissed. Hinata, I'll treat your wrist."  
>Sasuke left the office quickly, avoiding the secret smirk on Hinata's face. As soon as he left the building, he leaned against the door behind him and sunk down to the ground. He covered his reddened face with his hands.<p>

That was so stupid.

* * *

><p>Hinata burst into laughter as soon as she exited the Hokage's tower, still habitually covering her mouth even though there was nobody to witness her smile. Holding in her amusement was a struggle. The entire situation was topped off with Tsunade's advice to Hinata afterwards. <em>Men are crazy idiots. Just remember not to kill them completely. <em>Then, she told her about the time she broke all of Jiraiya's bones when he peeked on her when they were younger. Wise words, Hokage-sama. Wise words, indeed.

She was surprised when she saw that Sasuke had waited up for her. He was jolted out of his own thoughts, quickly starting to boil over Hinata's. He knew exactly what she was still thinking about, but she didn't mind his intrusion into her privacy. He sat up and brushed nonexistent dust off of him. "Shut up, Hyuuga girl. This never happened."

The smile on Hinata's face said that she would never let him live this down. She bit her thumb. "That was the best lie I've ever heard. We should be partners in crime."

"_Hell no_." She only laughed harder at his tsundere response. He shoved his hands in his pocket. He was surprised that he felt something in there that he didn't remember putting in. He fished out the leather pouch Asuma gave him before they left for the mission. He smirked, dangling it in front of Hinata's face. "Oi, idiot Hyuuga girl, let's get something to eat."

Hinata beamed when she recalled the money. She thought for a second, wondering if she would get in trouble for staying out for so long. Who the hell is she kidding? She could have died on the mission, for all they cared. "Cake!" she excitedly declared.

Sasuke had no clue why girls were attracted to sugary, pink cakes and milkshakes. "Sweets rot your teeth. We're getting sushi."

Hinata wanted to stick her tongue out at Sasuke's healthy eating habits. What a lie. The only form of sweetness you'll ever get in life comes from sugar. "Eh... Sushi is gross." She tried to think of something that the both of them could agree on. "What about ramen?"

Once again, her suggestion was declined. Although, it might be that he's sick of ramen since he's on the same team as _Naruto... _"Isn't there enough to get desserts _and _sushi?"

Sasuke zipped open the pouch, peering inside at the bundles of valuable paper. Yes, there certainly is enough to get both, but he's not going to tell her that. He tried to recall what was in his kitchen. Leftovers, some disgusting chocolate cake from the neighbor next door, bread, and cat food. "Actually, I should probably do some grocery shopping..." Konoha's Only Supermarket should be open 24/7, if he remembered correctly.

"I'm still coming."

"Go home, idiot."

Hinata clasped her hands together and gave Sasuke the most pitiable look she could muster. "Please, Sasuke-kun? I-It's so scary at home! Otou-san yells at me, saying that I'm better off dead, a-and..."

_Kami-sama, _her home life was so tragic. "... Okay, okay! You can come! Just stop acting so pathetic and don't attract attention." Sasuke was pissed at how annoying she was being about this, but he also felt _bad _for her. He wished that she would stop taking advantage of her background to get what she wants. Even now, after she revealed her black side to everyone, she can still manage to persuade him to do whatever she wants.

Hinata's face automatically brightened up. "Really? Thank you so much, Sasuke-kun!" she said excitedly.

He rolled his eyes. Why was she so damn excited? It's just grocery shopping. _Even though she looks cute when she's excited... _His face reddened. He should be allowed to think of her as cute. He's a boy, after all. It's not like he has a _crush_ on her. It's not like they're on a _date. _And it's not like she can read his mind.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke started fast-walking to the grocery shop. "Hurry up, stupid Hyuuga girl! I'll leave you behind!" _Was I being too obvious? Stupid! _

"Ah... I'm coming!"

* * *

><p>"You eat breakfast, right?" he asked.<p>

Hinata ripped her gaze away from the check-out lanes. She was wondering if there were any more new employees, but that thought could be saved for later. "Breakfast? I don't wake up early enough for that. But I do eat brunch, lunch, linner, supper, and dinner."

He never realized that you could still eat more than the average person even if you skip breakfast. Her meal schedule did seem valid, so he didn't try to pressure her into shoving a banana down her throat first thing in... _Apple. _Shove an _apple _down her throat. Actually, never mind. Breakfast. That's all he needed to assure she had. He wasn't trying to be a mother hen, but it's a human necessity to eat three proper meals a day, and she would probably find a way to frame him if she ever died.

"So we're eating breakfast foods for dinner?" Hinata guessed.

Sasuke wasn't completely against the idea, since it was probably something the both of them could agree on, but he already had another craving in his stomach so she just has to suck it up. "Do you even know how _late _it is? We're eating dinner foods for an extremely early breakfast," he declared. He grimaced at his use of _we. _He had no idea when Hinata subconsciously pressured him into inviting her over and feeding her, but it happened.

He had to bask in his glory as a saint. How generous he is to put up with her bullshit and even consider his teammates while he's at it! He thought back to the freshest image he had of his apartment. It was always clean, for the most part. His mother remembered to teach him clean habits before she died, after all. But it would be warmer inside if she never did. He wouldn't even need to worry about an apartment if she didn't...

He rolled the cart to the fresh produce section. Hinata trailed closely behind him, eventually catching up and hopping on the side of the cart for a ride. He glared at her childish attitude. "Off. _Now_." He could finally relate to his mother about cart-hopping.

"Please? I _never _get to do this. I think this is my first time, actually."

Oh, right. Dead mother and abusive father. Can't she live out her suppressed childhood with someone else, though? "Can't you go grocery shopping with your brother?" Neji would probably love guarding a puerile Hinata. _No... they're cousins. My subconscious didn't say that on purpose, did it? _

Hinata was about to correct him before she remembered that he was right. Technically, he _is _her half-brother since their fathers were twins, and she even looked up to him as an older brother, but... Their relationship isn't like that anymore, and she could never cut her habit of calling him Neji-nii-san. Not now, not ever. She wasn't ready for that. "Can _you?_" she responded.

_What does that mean? _He knew that she was merely trying to avoid the question by answering with another question, but there was an itching feeling in the back of his head that was dying to tell him that there was a meaning behind her words that he needed to grasp. There would be a shining amethyst awaiting under layers of cave walls, and he just had to pick his way towards it, one rock chip at a time. Why? That was her response to his question, probing about Neji, but...

Nope. Not tonight. None of this deep, reflection shit tonight. The only thing they're digging into is a bowl of pasta with a side of salad. No desserts, either. Zero fucks will be given tonight.

"Whatever. Ride the cart. Get some candy. Do whatever the hell you please, Hyuuga brat. It's not like I can stop you." He strayed away from the cart, ogling a head of iceberg lettuce. It was flavorless, but still a classic to put in salads for its crunch. He would also need some tomatoes, carrots, croutons, salad dressing, and Parmesan cheese. He almost felt stupid for making her eat healthy, but... He'll also need some rice. You can't have a shinobi apartment without a hoard of rice, somewhere.

He ripped a plastic bag from a roll and put the head of iceberg lettuce in it. As he turned around, he noticed that his cart and Hinata were missing. Frantically, he looked around to find both, and caught Hinata rounding a corner recklessly. "You little_ bitch!_" Fuck the fucks. He's going to have her head on a silver platter.

* * *

><p>Sakura entered her house, making sure to properly align her shoes in that-one-place-where-the-shoes-go. "Tadaima," she whispered. She didn't turn on the lights because she knew it would wake up her parents. Besides, it wasn't too difficult to navigate through the house once you've adjusted to the darkness. She quickly absconded to her room.<p>

With a tug of a beaded cord, the lamp flicked on. She tossed herself on her bed. This is the time where she mulls over the mission, sighing at her failures, and smiling stupidly at the funny moments.

Everything was so Hinata-centric. Sakura _knew _she was jealous of her stealing the spotlight. _Not that I would've had it, anyway. _She rolled over onto her stomach. How did Hinata capture Sasuke's attention so effortlessly and quickly? Hinata was living the exact life that Sakura has frivolously dreamed of for nights. They saved each other, teased each other, and Sasuke even got jealous of Naruto when he had Hinata by his side! It only took _one mission _for her to steal him away.

Sakura covered her head with a pillow. She's only trying to antagonize Hinata and avoiding the fact that there's a very _big _difference between them.

Bra size.

_Stop fooling around, Sakura. _

She proved herself to him. No, not even to him; to everyone, in general, including herself. She was able to negotiate herself into some kind of demonic deal with S-ranked criminals that managed to save her, Sasuke, and Naruto from the Akatsuki.

... But isn't that a bad thing? Even if it seemed like the best decision at the time, affiliating herself with Akatsuki will only lead to greater trouble later. Her loyalty to the village is under question. When he tried to confront her about it, even working himself up enough to yell at her for being an idiot for trying to sacrifice herself, she showed a darker side and laughed at him.

_Could it be that Sasuke-kun is a masochist? _Contemplating the idea, Sakura mused that she might not be too far from the mark. He must be attracted to people that he can't help but hate. He's so ignorant about the ways of romance that he can only classify any intense feelings he has for someone as abhorrence. What he's really looking for is a good rival. Either that, or he likes the bad girls...

Sakura had a big, goofy grin her face as she gushed over this. _Th.._._ That's so cute! Sasuke-kun is so naive that he doesn't even know love when he finds it! _Except what he found was Hinata. And Hinata likes Naruto.

Oh. Oh! A golden opportunity has been opened up for her. She can be his rebound girl. The cute, nice friend. This happens all the time in the movies, so it must have a good reason. All she has to do is stay by his side, be kind to him, and _wait. _Waiting is crucial.

However, Sakura still had a few things to brush up on about romance movies. She mentally put a movie marathon on her agenda for tomorrow before happily drifting to sleep.

* * *

><p>A sigh shattered a tense silence like thin ice, plunging the both of them into the cold waters of <em>get-out-or-get-kicked-out. <em>Hinata had tried her best to keep the conversation going. She savored each bite of Sasuke's homemade pasta and salad. However, the talk had to silence and the bowls had to be emptied eventually. She would have offered to help clean the dishes, but she knew that he would just to tell her that he would clean them later and perhaps encourage him to usher her out of his apartment quicker. _  
><em>

Hinata didn't want to go home. There was nothing to go home _to. _All she had was her room, whose walls could easily be seen through anyway. Everything felt so transparent, but in Sasuke's apartment, she could _feel _that the walls were solid. Even if they were thin, it was still a sufficient enough barrier to shield her from the world.

"Get out."

Ouch. That was blunt. Hinata clasped her hands together, praying to the O Great Saint that was Sasuke. She made sure her wrist brace was very much visible. "I _really _hate it at home. You have such a nice apartment. It's so," she paused, trying to find a better synonym for small, "kawaii. And cozy." She could see that he was offended by her interpretation of his abode. He didn't understand that it was a compliment. The small dimensions of his apartment was a comforting contrast to the open, spacious hallways of the Hyuuga estate.

It's terrifying to see so many shadows at night when all you wanted to do was grab a midnight bite. Sure, she could just use her Byakugan, but she didn't want to know what kind of demons were lurking. Probably her dead ancestors, haunting the halls because they couldn't rest in peace with someone as pathetic as her having a chance at gaining control of the clan.

"By no means is my apartment, as you put it, '_kawaii._' It was built for one person, and there is more than enough space to house one person. One-thousand two-hundred and eight square feet," Sasuke responded defensively. There is, in fact, enough space to house _two _persons, but hopefully she didn't know enough about apartments to figure that out.

Hinata looked around at the dining room. He had a point. For one person, the apartment was pretty luxurious. It was still smaller than her room, but it was also cleaner than her room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult your fortress of manlitude."

_Manliness, _Sasuke mentally corrected. Misspellings are too feminine for him. "Get out of my 'fortress of manlitude,'" he urges again, teasing her term, "I'm sure your clan is going to get suspicious if you stay over."

Hinata was dumbfounded by the reminder of the punishment that awaited her. She glanced at her wrist brace, wincing from phantom pain. She could still remember the pop of her fractured wrist. She could still go to the hospital and ask for a cast, but the interrogating questions at home still awaited her.

Sasuke cringed at the silence. He basically slapped her in the face by reminding her about what she had to go home to. He sighed angrily. This is so unfair. She was allowed to stomp all over the line, but when he accidentally grazed it, _this _happened. She reverted to a meek, passive servant-of-a-girl; the person she would be 24/7 if they didn't have that chance encounter at the training grounds that day.

It's crazy how close they have gotten since then. He declared his hatred for her a myriad of times, yet they ate dinner together in his apartment kitchen and joked about stupid things not worth mentioning. Why the _hell _did he let her in? He let her into his apartment, where Naruto has only visited once, but only to randomly tie him up for some weird reason and run off to do something even weirder and more random. He even cooked her dinner with ingredients that they shopped for together.

Maybe she's more than an evil bipolar girl that likes to harass his mind without even trying. Maybe she's... an acquaintance.

Suddenly, Hinata spoke up, with a renewed obstinate attitude. "Did you hit your head on a rock when we were falling off of that waterfall? We made a promise to each other. Don't you remember? You were the one that came up with the deal."

_"Let's make a promise, then. I'll always be there for you, and you'll always be there for me. Fair enough?" _

_"I agree to those terms." _

Hinata smiled at her victory. She knew that he was going to regret those foolish, foolish words. She just didn't know his regret would come so soon. "We're not just destined acquaintances. We're allies against the world."

That promise was... Fuck. Why was he so desperate to keep her in his life? Why the hell did he care so much? He stared down at his hands, to her wrist, and then to the hand that stabbed him in the back only hours ago. How did it feel to have his warm blood gushing onto her cold hands? He has a monster in his apartment. It takes a different kind of heart to be able to stab your own comrade. "You haven't been holding up your end of the deal," he argued.

She was quick to counter his accusation. "Haven't I? You're not ready to face your older brother. That's an undeniable fact. You would have been defeated before you could say 'Hinata was right' and Naruto-kun would have been captured. I'm surely not strong enough to face your older brother, so in short, it would have been a disaster."

Time to talk about feelings, then. "You took away the only chance of power that I need to face Itachi, with the_ help_ of Itachi."

Hinata slammed her non-crippled hand onto the table. _Ouch. __Note to self: don't do that. _"You don't_ get it_, do you? That was the best option I could have taken. It was either your future, or Naruto-kun's!" Her voice rose. She wasn't angry, but she had a serious point to make.

Sasuke grabbed her shoulders, sitting her back into her chair. "Shh, shh! I got it, okay?" he whispered. There were neighbors trying to sleep. They made enough noise hauling groceries at an ungodly hour of the night. He hated having visits from the landlord. Besides, it would be cowardly for him to go against the terms he set up himself.

"You can stay as many damn nights you want. Just keep it down, no smoking or drinking, and don't make a mess. Got it?"

Hinata beamed at the Uchiha, smiling brighter than an 80-watt light bulb. She looked happy enough to start clapping her hands in delight.

"I love you, Uchiha boy."

Oh geez. Throwing around words of affection to earn his trust back, huh? Maybe she's trying to reward him. She's such a spoiled bitch.

"Go to hell. I hate you."

* * *

><p><strong>You know, I wanted to post this chapter yesterday, but the website crashed on me while I was saving it bc I like writing the thing in the Edit Document thingy in the Doc Manager thingy. It's easier bc I put in the line breaks while I'm writing. Man, I have such a way with words. <strong>

**I FREAKED OUT SO BADLY YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I MESSAGED LIKE 80% OF MY FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK ABOUT HOW MUCH I WAS FREAKING OUT. **

**Luckily, most of the chapter was saved! I guess I saved it before it all crashed? Idk, but I'm really relieved that I didn't have to re-write a thousand words! **

**Hope you guys had a Jolly Jesusmas or holiday-thing-whatever, and a jollier Year's End! **

**You can give me a late present by leaving some reviews. Fair trade, right?**

**Until next time~!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, loyal readers and suspicious skimmers. I'm finally up with the eleventh chapter. I've been soooooooooo busy with a LOT of things. Having a life outside of fanfictions is quite exhausting. But whatever. I'm just really glad this chapter is finally done. **

**Enjoy~! **

* * *

><p>It was a little more than half past nine when Sasuke woke up. He jolted up then wanted to bang his head on the wall when he remembered that he's not supposed to suddenly move like that or else his wound would open up. Blood wasn't spurting out of his back uncontrollably yet, so he was safe for now.<p>

He heard the cackle of oil on a hot pan. Breakfast was in the air. Eggs, bacon, toast... and even _coffee_. How classic. There might even be a side of fruit. Waffles might be too much of a stretch.

There's a girl in his apartment. She stabbed him and threw him off a cliff. He broke her wrist. They went grocery shopping together. He made her dinner. She slept over at his apartment. She made him breakfast.

He felt stupid for having to review this little statements. Without a doubt, they are equal. He's trying to dig for proof that he has a right to be pissed at her, but he doesn't. That doesn't mean he still can't be pissed at her, but it would be unjustified avarice and he preferred to be right rather than stubbornly wrong.

He could also add that he broke her wrist _after _she politely healed most of his wound, and now she was making him breakfast with that wrist. Geez. Nobody asked to force her to make him breakfast. She could have left without telling him. That would've been fine. And now he has to accompany her to the hospital so that she wouldn't have the upper hand in this idiotic game of "You Owe Me." _  
><em>

_Did she plan this? _Of course she didn't plan such a frivolous passive-aggressive war. Nobody even thinks of things like this except for him. He just can't accept the fact that they are now good friends that keep each other equal with various methods. He couldn't find the proper adjective to describe it, but there there was much of what the adjective entailed.

He finally got off his lazy ass and dragged it to the kitchen. Hinata was busy dicing away at a tomato while the eggs and bacon were sizzling; something she should have done beforehand. She was sloppy in her steps, but adept enough to make sure everything still ended with the same results. It seems that she removed her wrist brace. Ever the reckless girl, even in the kitchen. At least she bothered to wear the apron.

He sat himself at the table. He didn't want to bother with a morning greeting. He would rather that they ate in silence after she served them. If there was barely an acknowledgment of the other individual, he could forget this happened and crawl back to his bed in peace.

But he found that he could silently acknowledge her, as long as she didn't acknowledge him. That didn't bother him. She frequently glanced at the the pans on the stove, careful to not let anything burn. Fretfully, she whipped her head left and right to assure that the toaster hadn't caught fire and the coffee wasn't green. It behooves her to activate her Byakugan to make this kitchen chaos a little easier for her to handle, but she seems to have forgotten this was an option. Either forgotten or deemed unnecessary. Sasuke deemed it very necessary.

As soon as the tomato was diced, which only took seconds without distractions, she returned to the stove. She picked up the spatula and prodded at the eggs and bacon. The fire was turned off with a click, then she turned to carry the pan to the table. She was focused on the heavenly scent of her cooking, but was soon startled when she spotted Sasuke in her peripheral vision and startled again when her new focus confirmed his presence. She paused in her steps.

"Oh. Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

He was surprised that their eyes met so quickly. He nodded and began to scrutinize the creases in his hands. She set the pan on the table. "Guess you're not a morning person," she observed.

She fetched two plates, two mugs, two forks, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper. Then the coffee pot and two slices of toast already on their own dish. It seems that she already memorized his kitchen. How rudely convenient.

Suddenly, he realized the tomatoes weren't for the eggs. If they were, the eggs would have been scrambled instead of sunny-side up and tossed into the pan earlier. She intended to have toast with cottage cheese and tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Also a given was that she intended for them to eat together. He employed himself with the task of spreading the cottage cheese onto the toast slices and decorating them with the tomatoes.

"I was actually just going to make a big sandwich for myself and run before you could yell at me, but I guess we can share too," Hinata stated as she separated the eggs and bacon equally onto two plates.

"Must every grocery trip end up with me chasing you to your house?"

"We could skip that joke and have me rushing with the food in my mouth screaming that I'm late."

Actually, Sasuke has seen Naruto fulfilling that stereotype plenty of times. "The protagonist position has already been filled. Find another role."

Hinata poured coffee into their mugs. "Do you have any creamers or sugar? You forgot to get milk."

"Only idiots forget. Just drink it black. That's the way it was meant to be drunken." Dranked? Drunk? Drinked? He's pretty sure it's drunken.

"How manly of you, to not possess any sugar or creamers. This must be why you have the ladies swooning."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I live alone. I don't like sugar or cream with my coffee, so I don't get it. It's as simple as that."

"You should invest in sugar and cream, since I'll be frequenting your apartment from now on. We're friends, Sasuke-kun. This is what friends do for each other."

What god did he anger to deserve such a shitty friend? "We're acquaintances," he corrected, "and I'm sure you're perfectly capable of getting your own cream and sugar."

She wasn't stubborn to win, which relieved him greatly. "Fine. If I get my own sugar and scream, will you store it in your home?"

It was a perfectly reasonable compromise, so he agreed. "If there's room."

But of course there's room. Even when he thinks he's entirely done with her bullshit, there will always be room. At least he has breakfast.

* * *

><p>Withstanding her presence is a struggle. The very act of her existing right in front of him dug fingernails into his scalp, but it wasn't painful. It was scratching an itch that he never knew he had.<p>

Sasuke didn't want that. The more you scratch at an itch, the more it will peel away at your skin. The next thing you know, you'll be bleeding, but you won't even care. The blood will dry on your fingers. It'll be entirely repulsive, so you'll cover the wound right away, but you'll never let it heal entirely because you're addicted to destroying yourself.

He wasn't lonely. Just very, very, _very _hungry.

Who knew bacon could have such a glorious crunch? He had to pace himself, though. There's no way he would let her know that he really, really, _really _enjoyed her cooking. If she did, she would have an excuse to visit more often. And then he would let her.

It has been too long since he's consumed real protein. His usual objective while grocery shopping is to get healthy foods that don't have greasy calories. He wasn't on a diet, per se, but donuts aren't going to help him avenge his clan any faster.

He couldn't say that he hated her company. It was just... okay. He would just really prefer it if he could get some alone time. After all that has happened during the mission, he was anxious to get her the fuck away from him. Being around people in general is exhausting.

"Do you like it, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata eagerly asked.

Sasuke took a sip of coffee. She asked like she needed his approval. If she was going to eat it all by herself in the first place, what's the point of asking if he liked it?

"It tastes like shit."

"I'm pretty sure that's just your personality," she shot back. "The coffee is really bitter."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. What is with girls and their sweeteners and creamers? Why can't they take things at face-value and stop sugarcoating things? "I'm pretty sure that's just your personality."

"Touché."

They both let silence reign the room. Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then opened them again after exhaling. The words "casual breakfast date" popped into his head. It was an awful term, but he ignored all romantic interpretations. For the first time in forever, he was eating a full, home-cooked breakfast in his kitchen. He realized that he was being hypocritical last night when he asked if she ate breakfast. He's just been so stressed about _blah blah revenge, blah blah Orochimaru, blah blah to be or not to be?, blah blah teenage angst. _

Now he has a new problem: how the _fuck _is he going to avenge his clan now?

For now, screw it all. It's because he was so stressed over all of that bullshit that he was neglecting his own health. He's definitely going to find a way. But you know. After he finishes breakfast.

Hinata was biting her lip. Oh, Kami. How long has she been in pain? "Stop being stupid," he ordered.

"I don't... Ano... I'm sorry...?"

Sasuke stood up and got a reusable ice pack from the freezer. Typically, you're supposed to _tell people _when you're in pain because of a broken wrist. He's the one that broke it, but it's already a mutual understanding that they're both cool with each other.

He tossed the ice pack towards Hinata and, oh _for fuck's sake_, she tried to catch it with the hand connected to the injured wrist and just _wow. _He let out a very big sigh as she winced and instinctively grabbed her wrist. Maybe he shouldn't have trusted her to catch it. The Uchiha shook his head at the Hyuuga and proceeded to pick up the ice pack for her.

"I'm taking you to the hospital after breakfast," he firmly told her.

"N-No! It's okay, I**—**"

"Three-hundred sixty degrees of eyesight, and you still can't see how pathetic you are."

It's actually three-hundred fifty-nine degrees, but she wasn't supposed to tell him that. And it's painfully obvious that she's in no position to be rejecting his help. _Painfully _obvious.

She gave him an awkward, sweet smile. "I love you, Sasuke-kun," she thanked apologetically.

"You're going to hell after this."

"I know."

* * *

><p>Sasuke left Hinata halfway towards the path to the hospital. Probably less than that, actually. He claimed that he just needed to make sure she got out of his home and he was going out anyway. She thought that was pretty stupid, but had to give him props because it was an effective method. She almost mistook him for a caring, generous person.<p>

The trip to the hospital turned out to be a complete waste of time. The doctor briefed them about the condition of Hinata's wrist, gave her a list of To Do and Not To Do's she already knew about, and prescribed some painkillers that are completely unnecessary because over-the-counter painkillers are just as effective, but whatever. The wrist brace was good enough. No cast needed.

She was glad to step out of the cold hospital and into the warm sun, letting her shivers melt off and gradually transition to sweat. It's another fair-weathered day in Konoha. There was still plenty of time before dark for her to get involved in various shenanigans.

Today felt like a wonderfully gay day to frolic in the flowers. Or pig out in the kitchen. Speaking of pigs and flowers, she could even go to Ino's flower shop and help out. She promised she would do that one day. Like tomorrow. Tomorrow is a beautiful day, too. In fact, it's her favorite.

"Hey! Hinata!" Tenten called out.

Shit. Somebody that knows her.

Tenten rushed up to her. This means that she needs something from her. Hinata hoped she was only going to suggest that they spend some time together because it's been a while since they've had a decent conversation.

"Neji was looking for you. Didn't you come back from your mission last night? He said you didn't come home."

Oh gosh.

"Where is he?"

* * *

><p>Neji and Hinata sat at a dango shop. A tray of dango and two cups of sweet tea laid between them. As per a peculiar tradition, Hinata poured half of her cup into Neji's cup, and then half back into her own cup. After her team decided to join in on a lunch date with her cousin a few times, they questioned why she was so keen on performing this strange ritual. Although she merely left it at "just a Hyuuga thing," there was a purpose.<p>

If you decided to be extra attentive, you would notice that Hinata only did this when she didn't see the drinks being poured from the same container. Neji was only aware of one reason for this routine, which was to show trust. Although she couldn't hold her own in a fight against him, she was very resourceful in passive-aggressive poisoned tea wars. Unfortunately, she was extremely aware when Neji shifted to the dark side and declared his hatred towards the main branch.

For a servant, it's a classic tactic to poison the tea. Hinata overheard this while a couple of maids were casually discussing hypothetical murder methods. Since then, she became paranoid over beverages. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She invited whoever was serving her for a sip. If they refused, she suddenly became disinterested in tea because she was "actually more of a coffee person." Even bottled and canned drinks were not to be trusted. A thin needle could easily inject a substance through metal or plastic. An opaque container easily hides any discoloration of the liquid inside and the puncture is quick to patch.

When Neji learned about this habit, he took a leaf from her book and took on the tradition. A suspicious servant is just as disposable as a weak heir. He loathed that Hinata had a window of opportunity to assassinate him when he naively took the first sip of every mixed beverage. He honestly thought it was a silly prank of hers to watch him cringe at watered-down soda that he _needed _because the dish was a little too spicy for him. He didn't want to remember the day that he accidentally chose water after Hinata decided on milk.

Whoever fetched the drinks always took the first sip. It was interesting to see who would take the tentative first sip when it was a third party serving the drinks. Hilarious, actually, to watch them go back and forth. Nowadays, it's a silly game they played for old time's sake. Sometimes they get interesting drink combinations out of it.

"This is really sweet. Why didn't you let me get water?" Hinata asked.

Something is different about her posture today. It isn't the wrist brace.

"I'm not fond of my drinks being watered-down."

"Get water, too, then."

"I didn't want water."

"Get lemonade. Water with lemon isn't that bad."

"I wanted sweet tea."

"Sweet doesn't wash away sweet."

"You're weak."

"We're going to get diabetes."

"Sugar, we're going down swinging." _  
><em>

Hinata laughed at this. _Okay. That was clever. I'll take the first sip. _

He smirked and followed suit.

"What do you need me for?" she asked.

"So cynical. I just wanted to know how your mission went, since you didn't come home yesterday." In other words: gossip. Neji has a better nose than Kiba when it comes to juicy news.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She looked down at her cup in her left hand. He could tell she was cringing from the sugar overload. Her gaze shifted to her upper-right, then to back down and to her left. "Not much happened. Just another failed mission."

Bingo. She's lying. He feels guilty sometimes by being able to read her thoughts so easily. He should teach her about how eye direction is connected with lying, but it's just so much more fun to keep her in the dark. Sometimes she gets really blushy and it's funny. "I doubt that. I heard you were sent on a mission with Naruto and that Uchiha boy."

"E-Eh? From who?" She's always so curious to know who supplies him with his information. Who exactly is the stupid motherfucker that tells him shit that he doesn't need to know?

"A little bird told me."

"I'm not... ready," she said quietly.

"It's okay to make a mistake, Hinata-sama. Please. Just tell me what you did and I can help you improve."

She took an anxious sip of her sweet tea. Neji knew she would do this so he made a point to order make the sweet tea iced instead of hot. He didn't want her burning herself. She probably would. She wouldn't regret it, either.

"Why would you care, anyway?"

Her voice was loud when she said that. Angry. Bitter. Towards _him. _

"Your arm looks injured and you didn't come home last night," he answered.

She settled down. All anger and bitterness was now directed back towards herself. Her hand was noticeably shaking as she clutched onto her cup.

"I lied. The mission wasn't failed. It was cancelled."

You could hear the "I'm sorry" in her tone. But she's supposed to be relieved that it was cancelled, not apologizing. Luckily, they've gone through the motions enough time for Hinata to spill the details without further coaxing.

"I think it's a conspiracy."

"Trust the government's backstabbing secrecy. It _is _a conspiracy," Neji replied, "It's obvious that something is up when they pair a Hyuuga and Uchiha together on a mission. They probably threw Naruto in just to make things 'less suspicious.'"

The bunny-ear quotes made Hinata smile. That's good. He took the first bite of dango. Time to drown all sorrows away with sugar.

"At the very least, the clan isn't in on this..." Neji stated.

Hinata was already more than halfway done with the sweet tea. She lied about that, too. She actually doesn't mind dying from diabetes. "What do you mean?"

"Hiashi-sama was looking for you yesterday."

_For what? _he could tell she was asking. She was busy choking on her drink to ask. Neji decided to continue as she attempted to cough liquid out of her breathing pipes.

"Something about milk. There's some sweetened vanilla almond milk in the fridge. For you, specifically... I accidentally used some for my cereal. I got yelled at," he confessed.

He was to blame, partially, but he never developed the habit of checking if a milk carton had someone's name on it before consuming it. Sure, he wasn't supposed to be mooching on milk from the main branch's fridge in the first place, but the lower branch ran out of milk because some jackass heard that it was good for your skin and he already poured his bowl of cereal. He wasn't going to eat some damn dry cereal when the other half of his family has fresh milk in the fridge. Plus, he's never tried almond milk before.

Neji Hyuuga: living the rebellious 14-year-old life.

* * *

><p><em>Neji checked the nutrition facts on the cereal box out of idle curiosity. He brought it with him to the main branch house along with his bowl and spoon because borrowing milk <em>and _cereal from the main branch would be thievery. Only take what's necessary. _

_As he confirmed, he still had a large number remaining in his 2,000-calorie diet for another bowl. The extra teaspoons of sugar that he dumped in don't count. He's a shinobi, after all; a little more than 2,000 calories would be perfectly acceptable since he's going to burn it off anyway. Liquids don't count, either. Calcium will assure that his bones don't snap like twigs. _

_He tensed mid-chew as he felt a presence behind him. Oh shit. It's the head honcho. The boss. The big daddy. Oh wow, those terms are dumb. Whatever. It's Hiashi. Neji continued eating his breakfast casually, keeping his head low and hoping he would be mistaken for Just Another Hyuuga. Maybe he could just pretend that he walked into the wrong house. Yeah. Totally. That could pass. _

_"Good morning, Hiashi-sama. How are you today?" Neji greeted, altering his voice just a little bit to imitate Just Another Hyuuga. Could favors be given to nephews? They're _all_ family, but..._

_"Yes." _

_Oh. Looks like he's tired. It's still morning, after all. But he's the leader of the clan. Of course he wouldn't let simple grogginess fog his mind. Does it... mean something...? It sounded convincing enough to be an appropriate response to the question. That means the quality of his well-being today is yes. Like he's confirming his quality of his well-being today? Is he saying he is _being _today? Is he today? It's not his birthday. He could simply be confirming his existence... _

_Neji pondered these questions while eating his cereal. Hiashi opened the fridge. _

_"Neji." _

_Busted. _

_The boy turned his head slowly to his uncle while chewing the overly-sweetened corn flakes. He swallowed. _

_"... Yes, Hiashi-sama?" _

_"That milk was for Hinata.__" _

_Neji stood up from his chair, wide-eyed. His hands went around his neck, panicked. _

_"It's _POISONED?_" _

_Symptoms. Lightheadedness, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, stomach pains, cold sweat... Oh Kami. Kami, Kami, Kami... _

_"Poison my daughter? Sit down, boy, you're not going to die, but you probably will anyway if you don't learn how to read. Why are you in this kitchen? Why are you stealing milk?" _

_Embarrassed by his assumptions, it took a few seconds for Neji to settle himself. As he found out, he could not bring himself to explain his breakfast rebellion. It's too stupid to confess to. Still in shock from his near-death experience, he could only bring himself to hold up the box of corn flakes. _

_"I _like_ cereal." _

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><p>"Oh," she said. Hinata felt... bad. Neji looked really traumatized when he said that. It's fucking weird-as-hell that Hiashi seems to be obsessed with milk, but whatever. "Um. You can have some whenever you want... Thank you for taste-testing it for me."<p>

"Never mind about that. You still haven't told me about the mission," Neji insisted.

Hinata rose her cup to take another sip to stall, but found that she had already drunken it all. Dranked? Drunk? Drinked? Whatever. Grammar isn't her priority.

She could just not tell him. He could only understand her worries if she told him the entire story. She's certain that it's not legal for her to tell him the entire story.

Oh, Kami. It's not even legal for her to tell him the entire story. That mission was one _hell_ of a party. Wow.

Time for avoidance tactics. Luckily, Hinata was a master at running away from her problems. "I slept over at Sasuke-kun's apartment last night."

She cringed when Neji stayed silent. She could feel his questions blooming and his temper boiling. She didn't even know why that had to be the diversion when there were a thousand other things to talk about. It's almost like she did it on purpose. She _had _to create chaos for Sasuke. It was a code programmed into her brain on the day they met. That's why she ran to Neji during the grocery shop incident.

Having Neji tell the Uchiha boy off was satisfying. Hinata couldn't tell which aspect of the situation appealed to her. The passive aggressive revenge was nice. She didn't know what she was getting revenge for this time, but it still tasted sweet. Maybe it was because he was protecting her. Is it a fetish of hers to stroke Neji's ego? To be helpless at his feet, depending on him, and only him, for help? She could just be tired of walking alone. Why not let someone else take the reigns? Or did she like the feeling of control when she had him wrapped around her finger?

Oh gosh, that's so _perverted._ He's her cousin, damn it, even if they ignored each other for an eternity and attempted to kill each other with tea that wasn't actually poisoned. It's like a hate-crush. That probably doesn't count as incest. Totally.

But she's the only one aware of these feelings, which aren't really feelings because that would be indecent, so it's still all right to play around.

"What did he do?" Neji questioned coolly.

What a facade! Hinata could have mistaken that for a casual inquisition about her opinion on the weather. He must be beyond pissed right now. It's sadistic of her to be giddy.

Neji wasn't the only actor in the family. Hinata put up her I'm-pretty-damn-anxious-about-this front. It wasn't hard, considering she's quite self-aware of every disgusting habit she does when she's nervous. First, she rose her cup to drink out of it. Yup, still empty. She put it back down and did the finger-poking-together thing while looking down at her lap. The stutter is obvious, but the falter in her voice takes some more attention. _  
><em>

"I..." Bingo. Voice crack. "I-I... That's the... Ano..." Words being mixed up. Good. And now the tense silence. She threw in an "accidental" oops-our-eyes-met-so-let-me-look-away for effect.

She could have been a real bitch and told him the story of how her wrist broke, but it's best not to let Neji get too pissed off at Sasuke. Just a little scare and a tongue lashing.

"_Off_ with his head. I don't care that we're atheist; _someone _is going to hell."

"I love you, Neji-nii-san."

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><p><strong>Please tell me what you think about this chapter! I kinda had trouble deciding what the fuck I should shove in this chapter. Does anyone else want to see more Hyuuga-to-Hyuuga interaction? I'm really addicted to NejiHina, so I couldn't help it. See any interesting patterns? Tell me! Message me! I'll probably message back one day. One day, I swear. Give me at least a year to reply. Maybe we could have a nice conversation and become good friends or something... <strong>

**But nah, that only happens in the fanfictions. **

**I hope you've enjoyed, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a _review_. **

**You may think that I have enough reviews already, but I really need support from the readers, too. **

**Until next time~! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey. Um. Yeah. Enjoy. **

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><p><em>Wake up. <em>

Those two words were her body's shrieks when it happened. It's sleep paralysis. A thousand-pound weight burdened her chest, right at her heart, digging further into her body. The darkness behind her eyes looked like the perspective from deep within an abyss below water. A lake, specifically. She didn't want to open her eyes. Hallucinations are awaiting. She only stayed in the abyss because she knew she could control it. Dreams are behind your eyes. Nightmares are in front of it.

She opened her eyes by instinct as she rolled over onto her side. _60% of sleep paralysis episodes happen when you lie on your back._ Her body was stiff concrete. The burden on her chest persisted. A sharp inhale of air that entered her lungs like sand told her to stay quiet.

The night stand is beside her bed. The crack on the ceiling is the same.

The concrete slowly melted off of her body. She sat up, quickly shutting her eyes again in fear of the nightmare. _The hallucinations are a figment of your imagination fueled by subconscious fears and trauma. Thinks happy thoughts._ Joy was a word her mind forgot how to define. Her throat was replaced by a straw.

White noise rang in the room, accompanied by the soft murmurs of people talking. She couldn't hear the individual syllables that made up the words, but she knew the words were still there. Nothing in particular stood out.

Suddenly, images danced behind her open eyes. They were more vivid than any memory she could ever recall. Yet, some impulse told her that the images are memories that she's recalling. They were telling her a story that she already fulfilled, but it was the original version. There wasn't so much red and so many crows in her edition of the story.

_The cliff, a snake, Sasuke, stab him, fall into the water, don't kill him and don't drown. _

A pair of red eyes stared from inside the story — a watermark to show the proof of the real author.

She watched the unwritten orders addressed to her. Bewilderment scratched at her brain. She didn't take orders. These were her own actions. Yet, as she watched the scenes loop into repeat, the credibility she once had for herself began to degrade.

The paragraphs she scribbled are plagiarized.

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><p><em>Wake up. <em>

Those two words were his body's shrieks when it happened. It's the Cursed Seal. A thousand flames burned his neck, right where the Curse Mark was, spreading throughout his body. The darkness within his heart felt as if it was deep within an abyss below water. A lake, specifically. He needed to open his eyes. Reality awaits. He only stayed in the abyss because he couldn't control it. Truth lurked in the darkness he couldn't see. Lies were in the darkness he already had.

He clenched his eyes shut tighter. The pain, which he could feel originating specifically from the Cursed Seal, did not hurt him. It empowered him. It lit the candle he did not see, but smelled. The heat was a good sign; it was light. Was he not taught to fan the flames to make them hotter? With this, he could create a new sun.

Every cell in his body was awakened. Energy seemed to leak from his pores. Power. At that moment, he was reminded of his original ambitions and what he had to do in order to bring the words in his head onto paper.

Anxiety flooded in along with the crippling delusion of power. Hinata was right. _Again._ The Curse Mark is going to kill him.

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><p>Hinata sat, putting her head in her knees. She wished her tinnitus would drown out the arguing. It's not even 10 A.M. yet. Why isn't everybody as dead as her?<p>

It all started with Sakura and Sasuke entering with shouting. Sakura ripped down the collar of his shirt to show everyone why she was so damned concerned over him. He slapped her hand away. It's none of her business. It's none of anybody's business except his. But that's wrong, Sasuke-kun! This is everybody's business, since he won't let her help him!

Naruto was surprisingly passive today. He tried to be the bridge between them, but the raging waters from Shino's stupid beliefs broke it. Traitors will not be tolerated. Naruto got pissed. Sasuke is a friend, not a traitor.

Kiba, for once, didn't want to jump to conclusions. He asked what the hell was going on. Naruto was about to fill him in until Sasuke interjected.

She didn't know what happened after that because she suddenly tuned out, but it was getting violent and she needs to do something. What could she do, though? She was as much of an outsider as Akamaru was. None of this is her's to meddle with.

Even her own thoughts didn't belong to her anymore. How could she possible carry another person's burden? Sasuke may be turning a lake into an ocean, but at least he swam. Hinata felt like she was sinking with every step, tumbling further and losing her sense of direction.

The worst part is that this is déjà vu.

This time, there was no voice in her head telling her to clip his wings. The new voice was softer. Relaxed, like the strike of a bell fading into the forest, but also smooth like a velvet rose being dragged along her thigh and dark like bittersweet chocolate being melted into her mouth. She knew she deserved to be deaf for succumbing to this sin, but his voice is her only stability amidst sharp cymbal clashes.

Don't kill him and don't drown.

That was all he had left to remind her of. It's wrong. She shouldn't be listening to piano whispers. She should be listening to the blare of Naruto's promises, shouting that he can stop Sasuke himself, yet the whispers rose above the cacophony like a sweet melody from within; a humming that she couldn't get out of her throat.

She could see herself becoming disassociated from the chaos. Pain was touched, but not felt. Thoughts floated by, but never lingered. Drowsiness is infecting her.

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><p><em>The air is crisp, a fresh piece of paper for a diary entry of events. Silence is thick. He could have talked to himself to relieve the tension, but he was afraid of spilling too many secrets to the gossiping wind. He's a Uchiha. Fanning the fire will only make it hotter. <em>

_He permitted himself a deep inhale. Having two "secret" spectators isn't going to interfere with his results. _

_There are three targets set up behind the 15-foot boulder and five more on various locations on the trees around _who? Is this Itachi? But how did Hinata know about the spectators and the three targets behind the boulder? She can't see them, but she knows. She also knows the area is in Konoha.

_The goal is to hit all eight targets from one spot. This would have been a delicate puzzle for anyone else, but it was a practiced procedure for _Itachi. It must be Itachi. She can't see him because this memory belongs to him. She gets to experience this first-hand.

_It was simple for him. He gave that impression flawlessly, as if it was just a little trick you could show off in bars. He flash-stepped above the boulder, flipping upside-down and rotating his body. The Sharingan is active. Six kunai are in each hand. _

_First, two kunai were thrown from each hand, aimed at the targets easiest to hit. Then, two more were launched. The last couple of knives were cast, angled to hit the two knives that were released just milliseconds earlier. All four knives were redirected towards their designated destinations. _

_Eight kunai, eight targets. All bulls-eyes, no less. _

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><p>"Wake up!"<p>

Hinata jolted up, surprising Sasuke. She blinked several times, trying to regain focus on a blurry image. It's daytime. Her team and Sasuke's team are surrounding her. They were—_are_—in a training ground. Emerald grass is under her. She's sitting up now.

She kept on blinking. Her brain kept on blanking. The sun was bright, but there seemed to be a dim filter over her eyes like transparent specks of black in front of the images her eyes conjured up. It pulled her back from reality. She might as well be watching life from a grainy TV screen. There was enough static in her ears to prove this fitting.

There's a slight breeze, clouds are in the blue sky, trees are flourished with an abundance of leaves, some birds are chirping, everyone is staring at her...

"What the fuck is wrong with you, stupid Hyuuga girl? Falling asleep?"

Asleep. She fell asleep. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Her inner voices started to speak to her again. _Narcolepsy is connected with sleep paralysis and rapid entry into the dream phase. _

It was exactly like falling asleep. She suddenly felt so relaxed, then the colors started to wash away, and then the dream. It was exactly like dying. To die, to sleep—to sleep—perchance to dream! She could have fallen into hell just then. If that's the case, then at least hell is warmer than heaven.

Her visions of death used to be nightmares, but all along it was just a dream. It came as a whisper and not a bang. No regrets remain. You simply succumb to it, as if you've been insomniac your entire life. The motivation to stay awake wavers. _Narcolepsy may lead to depression and anxiety. _

The pieces are being strung together and Hinata doesn't want to see the big picture.

"—and you're not even listening. You're pathetic! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"E-Eh? I-I'm sorry, but... Can you, um... Repeat that?" she asked.

Her eyes finally came into focus. The Uchiha looked more pissed than an infant's diaper. An accidental glance towards Sakura informed him of her glare.

"Wake. Up."

"I got that part. I mean, what did I miss?"

"Nothing, yet. We're still waiting for Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei," Shino answered. "Why? This is because..."

Hinata cut him off. "I-I know, Shino-kun. I'm sorry. What about the Cur—"

Sasuke cut her off. "Nobody was discussing that." Sakura wants to, but she won't. For his sake.

"B-But everyone was arguing about it before I fell asleep."

"No? You knocked out as soon as you got here... We've been bored to death waiting this entire time," Kiba told her. "You can go to sleep, if you want. I dunno why Sasuke woke you up. Probably because he's an asshole."

Everybody was teasing her for falling asleep. It's a good prank. Naruto must have come up with it; he's good at pranks. It's impressive that he was able to alleviate the situation regarding Sasuke and even convince everyone to take part in this.

The self-declared future Hokage's blue gaze made her falter. She's running away again, coming up with a safe place in her imagination to take shelter in when the world gets too scary. She didn't know she was, but how could she expect to know? Her conscious thoughts are a result of her subconscious fears. There's too many fears for her to be able to trust her thoughts freely.

She's been dreaming this entire time. Hallucinating. That's what she gets for opening her eyes. It can't be controlled anymore. The sea will swallow her up, the voices will deafen her, the hopes will shatter her, the nightmares will kill her...

She's going to drown. She should have died in the Chuunin Exams.

_... don't kill him, and don't drown. _

How? HOW is she supposed to do that? She already stabbed him! She might as well drown.

_Don't kill him, and don't drown. _

She can't protect him. She can't even protect herself.

_Don't kill him, and don't drown. _

Why didn't she kill him? He's going to cause as much damage as she is. They're the same. They're destroyers.

"What the fuck, Hyuuga girl! Don't fall back asleep!"

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><p>Naruto watched Sasuke as he continued to have a bitch fit. His arms were crossed behind his neck. Nobody brought it up, but all he was doing nowadays was spectating a play with actors he recognized and characters he couldn't relate to. It was reminiscent of his childhood. Everything was reminiscent of his childhood; a peculiar parallel with significant variations.<p>

Sasuke and Hinata are both his friends. Yet, it seemed like the bridge between him and them was torn down to make a better bridge between just them. And it's not like Hinata was meddling with the relationship with Hinata and him or Sasuke was getting in the way with the relationship with Hinata and him. Those two seemed to be in a world he wasn't a part of.

He couldn't understand. Some kind of event happened that they were referring to that he missed. It was obvious in the cut-off sentences, the shared glances, the anger (out of concern?) they had for each other, the allusions to some thing. All of the pieces were scattered out before him in fragments of tinted glass, but he didn't want to disturb them. He could cut himself. He could shatter the pieces. Glass is fragile and sharp.

He thought that maybe if he kept on paying attention, he could figure out the big picture by himself. The hints are big. He's dumb, but intelligence is artificial. Anyone could get an A on a stupid vocabulary test. Fill in the blanks. He could do that.

Cur. That's what she was able to get out before Sasuke interrupted. Currrrr... ry?

They're not arguing about CURRY.

Think Hyuuga. Uhhh. Maybe it is curry? Neji doesn't like spicy curry. But it's not Neji-related, is it?

Currrrrrrrrrrr... sssssse... Mark. CURSE MARK.

Euphoria lit Naruto like a firework dashing up to the sky. Those two words lit up the sky with crackles, embracing the stars and upstaging the moon.

"... CURSE MARK!"

As soon as he exclaimed that, he realized that he accidentally triggered the arguing that Hinata foreshadowed.

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><p>Neji leaned against Hinata's bedroom door. Her tears ripped at his heart and burdened his shoulders. It wasn't his fault that she was crying but he knows he accidentally triggered something inside of her. He shouldn't have played his father's composition on the main branch house's piano. She still blames herself for his father's death. He knows this because he used to blame her, too.<p>

The piano is an antique. It's the default shade of white paint that every house emanated. Real colors belonged in the memories. They're locked in the subconscious, only to be leaked when a new number to the combination is discovered.

The cage wasn't loose enough to let Neji know why he was tempted. No good would have been done to let the caged bird free. He only thought it would, just like how he thought the bird needed to be in the cage. These thoughts seemed to outshine each other, yet in truth, they were as dumb as they were dim.

He first tested if she forgot to lock her door, then banged. One of the answers had to be correct: letter A or letter B. _Shut up. _Her crying is annoying. He wanted to step towards an inevitable future, she cries, he wanted to protect the past, she cries. He crossed the horizon twice but she remains on the line. She hasn't changed. She won't change. Ticks on the clock are bellowing.

He tried to hate her, he tried to love her. Nothing works with her.

"What do you _want _from me, Hinata-sama? All you do is complain and run away! You said that facing your problems was your ninja way. Did you lie?" _  
><em>

He's been honest the whole time. She knows exactly who he is and what he has suffered to be the person he is today, but she won't open up herself. One-sided relationships never work out.

He banged again and shouted louder. "Open _UP! _Girls always have to make everything difficult! Stop _HIDING _for once and _TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG._"

"Nothing. It's nothing." She didn't even stutter. It's clear to him that she's purposely excluding him from her life.

"That's bullshit and you fucking know it. Open the goddamned door!"

Her voice is quiet; the same volume as it usually was but with a tired tone. "I'm sorry. I'm fine."

"You know that's a lie, Hinata-sama. But wait! You don't even want me to call you that. What do **you **prefer? Hinata-san? Hinata-chan? Hinata-hime? Dono? Little sister? Cousin? Mistress?"

"No. It's fine, Neji-nii-san."

"I see exactly how it fucking is, then! You must want me to stop calling your name out altogether. Don't I ruin your life? I almost killed you. I outshine you and bring light to your failures. You want me to _leave_."

"You don't ruin my life. It's my own fault that I don't succeed. Please stay." She was only telling him white lies. She didn't care enough to tell him the truth. All she wanted was for him to calm down. Why should he calm down? He had every right to be angry. She wouldn't even come out and confront him. He should have expected this from a member of the main branch family. They're too narcissistic to _listen_ to the lower branch. They bathed in their power and easily dismissed _frivolous problems. _

"Of course. I know. It's always 'no,' with you. Don't give up, don't try, don't open up, don't succeed, don't live, don't die, don't be wrong, don't be right. But you know _I'm _right. You only _accept _it, like it's some kind of given that you need to incorporate into a math equation to find the answer. You're not acknowledging the proof! Your acceptance is only more ignorance!"

She has a passive dominance over him. It's ridiculous that he has to explain every single flaw to her. He's making a goddamned scene over nothing. She's trying to make it seem like _he's _the one trying to spark drama for no reason, like he's the one with all the problems that he's only projecting on her, like every feeling he has isn't even relevant to her but he's trying to make it seem that way anyway... It's not. This is all her fault and she doesn't even know it. She doesn't know what she's doing to him.

"Why would you care?" she asked him.

There it is. There's the evidence that she's laying all of the guilt on him. He's supposed to give up on her, but he's just _won't_ because he's a stubborn fuck. It's her life. Not his. She holds every right to destroy herself. She's an ex-heiress, so why not? She might as well take revenge on the clan by acting up. He can't let her do that. He just _can not. _

"We were supposed to be siblings, not cousins."

If he knew he would break down sobbing, he wouldn't have said that. But he had to. _My songs know what you did in the dark._

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><p>Hinata woke up and immediately checked the time: twenty-one hundred hours. She fell forward, and suddenly realized that she had been sleeping standing up against her door. Her memory of what she was doing before she blacked out came to her before she could say "shit, I fucked up." <em>Neji-nii-san hates me. Again.<em>

She covered her face in shame. Memories of everything from her uncle's death up to the recent mission kept flashing in her head. She slumped onto the floor. It was all so _embarrassing. _Even now, she still didn't feel like she was acting like the person she truly was. Not that she even knew who she was in the first place.

The ceiling seemed to waver. Every shadow seemed to be a mirror that reflected the abyss within her.

"Don't kill him and don't drown, don't kill him and don't drown, don't kill him and don't drown..." She didn't even realize she had been reciting those words. Despite now knowing, she didn't stop the mantra. Instead, she contemplated the phrase, as if the context behind it wasn't blatant enough.

She was still able to over-analyze. When Itachi said _don't kill him_, he meant _don't let him die. _Letting him die was the same thing as killing him, in Hinata's mind, though. _Don't drown _clearly means _don't let your insecurities and fears swallow you up. _Or something along those lines.

Looking at it like that, it sounded like Itachi was entrusting her with Sasuke. Tsunade insinuated the same thing.

Kami, she hates herself so much. She couldn't act like she hated everyone else anymore because she hated herself _so much. _

Hinata was so anxious about that she ended up running to Sasuke's apartment, banging the door furiously. She was in tears when she arrived. The first step in resolving problems is admitting you have one.

"I'm fucking _narcoleptic._"

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><p><strong>I have fun writing, but it's painful re-reading. But I really hope you guys like it! I mean, according to the traffic stats, you guys do. <strong>

**Thank you so much for supporting me! Remember to keep at it. **

_**Please review. **_


	13. Chapter 13

**2X CHAPTER UPD8 COMBO!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Sasuke poured a cup of coffee for her. He stared at the black-brown liquid until it settled, but was more captured by the steam. Heat is visible. It has many images associated with it: red, bubbles, smoke, steam, embers, sparks, fire, the Sun, summer, stress.<p>

Glass isn't commonly associated with heat. Glass is melted to be shaped into beautiful works of art. It brings a new picture to the word. A violent one. When glass is hot, it doesn't show until it's at about 1,400-1,600 degrees Celsius. Or at least that's what the melting point is. Because it doesn't show, people are alarmed when they're suddenly scorched by glass they left near a flame too recently and drop it, shattering the blazing shards.

The sound of heat is sizzling, burning, and charring. You don't hear a vase shatter and think "Fire!"

Yet, glass is still capable of containing heat. The mug, for example, was doing a fine job of holding the hot coffee. Oil lanterns burn bright. Cinderella had glass slippers. It's only because people are clumsy with glass that it breaks. Sure, it's transparent, but it also distorts images. You can tint glass, anyway, color it with a rainbow and marvel at the painted light that leaks through. Even the shards can be melted and shaped anew.

So, even though Hinata is broken and fragile and capable of making him bleed, she still had a chance to be the centerpiece of a lacking dining table.

"I'm going to die," she cried out. "Someone's going to die. Everyone's going to die." This is only his second time seeing her cry but he could already tell that there will be a hundredth time, too.

"We all have to, eventually," he replied, as if being logical was somehow comforting. Is it? Therapy is all about recognizing the problem and coping. There's no answer. Just deal with the problem. Since Hinata is such a damn crybaby, he'll have to find a way to comfort her eventually. It's for the good of both of them.

"But for what? A lost cause? We're not meant to be equal. That's why there's heaven and hell. And even if that didn't exist—what point would life be in the first place if we're all equal in death? Religion is a security blanket. Everybody is going to die. Equality is impossible. There _is _no heaven or hell. We all just die. This equality in death _is _our heaven or hell, actually, because it balances out the inequality that we suffer through in life!"

Although she contradicted herself, her philosophy made sense in the end. It was an idea worth contemplation, despite knowing how fogged her mind is by death. He wants to say that she's suicidal, but she hasn't even shown any symptoms of it. She should write a book. "Wouldn't that mean that religion, or rather, the concept of heaven and hell makes equality in life possible?"

"Since we're not equal, not everyone is going to accept that concept. Even facts are shunned." Surprisingly, she can prove herself articulate despite bawling her eyes out. He didn't know why she kept the stutter when she was flustered.

Perhaps it's because she's passionate tonight. Her depression brought this side of her to light. Usually, she's passive, but she sure can scorch when she's aggressive. "Are you ever passive-aggressive?" It would be more fitting of the character she used to wear for her friends.

"Only with Neji-nii-san."

Somehow, this made sense. Well, no, of course it made sense. He already knows that she's "suddenly" an asshole because she's been suppressed her entire life. In parenting terms, she's going through the Rebellious Phase. That asshole part of her isn't who she is, though. In fact, she's still discovering herself. She's still young. He's still young. They're all still so young, so they can afford to make dumb mistakes.

"Why are you invading my fortress of manliness, again?" he questioned.

"I don't want you to leave the village. I-I..." She broke down into _louder_ sobs, temporarily abandoning her enunciation. "I-I-It-It's..."

"'... not worth it'? Are you aware of how cliché that old phrase is, or is that awareness gone thanks to your lack of sanity at the moment?"

He waited patiently for her response. It's not like he hasn't been through the incoherent wails that she's suffering from right now. He nudged the mug of coffee towards her, rolling his eyes as she visibly burned her tongue. She bared through it and sipped the coffee, though. It managed to shut her up for a few seconds.

"I used to think sleep was a medicine and I was severely sick, but it didn't occur to me that one man's drink is another man's poison," the Uchiha commented.

He was glad that she didn't complain about the lack of sugar or milk. She would've been hypocritical if she did. "It's not just falling asleep at inconvenient times. It's being tired _all _the time but being restless at night." Which is why she came here, to the boy with insomnia. "Bad dreams—nightmares. Sleep paralysis. Hallucinations. Depression. Anxiety. I forget where I am and what I'm doing when I wake up. This is only my _first day_, too."

Funny how this happened three days after the mission. Seventy-two hours. Sasuke had to commend his brother for being able to induce this kind of effect specifically three days after the impact. It's like having a someone sneeze on you and later finding that you're also sneezing. That's a fitting analogy too, considering just how _sick _his brother is.

He couldn't control how moist his eyes were getting or how loud his heart beat in his throat. He knew that he should have expected this from an S-rank criminal, but he still had to ask _how could he? _How is it possible for _anyone _to have the audacity to take the simplest and most basic luxuries away from a fellow human?

For no reason, too. She would have complied without any threats, just to keep him and Naruto safe. She didn't dare sacrifice her life for them, but unknowingly, she abandoned her sanity because of Itachi. There is no goddamned slightly-rational reason for Itachi to rip Hinata's brain to dust. She's insignificant to him like an ant in a greenhouse. There is nothing Itachi could possibly gain from this other than self-satisfaction. Probably to relieve his boredom of the world. _  
><em>

"He used genjutsu on you," Sasuke stated calmly, conflicting the cacophony in his head.

"Apparently..." Of course she doesn't remember it. At least she stopped sobbing. "Itachi-san is really amazing."

"You _compliment _him?"

"If I didn't trust you, I would have eventually convinced myself this is just a part of my own mental illness. This is only my first day of experiencing these symptoms, but I'm already losing my sense of reality. I could go insane by tomorrow."

Fucking incredible. "That's stupid! Are you really that _weak _to just accept what he has caused? You do not know how depraved, how immoral, how degenerate and corrupt and _evil _the things he has done and is doing at this moment are! Imagine yourself doing the things he's doing to you right now. Imagine doing those things to one of your teammates, or Neji, or Naruto. You may be able to cope with your own pain, like the invertebrate you are, but feel _their _pain.

"Cringe as you picture them scraping their skin open just to know that they're still alive, as they wake up in the middle of the night with images of macabre and their own faults being shoved at them like a dagger in their eyes, as they feel the weight of every little particle pushing down on them like a pile of pricks, as they dart their eyes around their surroundings because they're bewildered by the situation they're suddenly in, thinking 'Am I going to die? Who's going to die? Will we all—"

"—I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I_ know! _I can see that you're quivering with anger and fear just listening to me. I can _acknowledge_ it. I'm putting all these things in your head for a reason."

"Shut the fuck up! There's no such thing as 'reason' or 'logic' in your infected mind right now. How did you ever expect to avenge your mother if you can't even admit that—"

"—I _realize_ now that I was never serious when I said those words to you when we met. It was just an exaggeration of the dumb fantasies in my head that I knew I would never actually follow through on. I was bitter and insecure when I told you all those stupid things. I'm sorry. I wanted to make myself into this bold, confident, badass person that's better than everyone else because she's suffered more and nobody can understand her no matter how hard they try. I even made a stupid risk and thought that I wasn't trying to do something "dumb" and get myself killed in the process. I only thought I wouldn't get killed because I'm so _small_, so I tried using that as a weapon to mock everyone, but... It was all dumb.

"My mother may never stop tossing and turning in her grave. It doesn't even matter. Why should the whispers of the dead be prioritized over the screams of the living? The dead do not _think. _They do not tell tales, spread rumors, or insinuate that you're worth any less than you really are. When they're dead, they're gone."

Sasuke counted his breaths, resisting every urge in his body that was tempting him into hitting her. Hitting her would only worsen both of their shitty self-esteems. "You'd be glad to forget about your mother, huh? Just to alleviate some of that guilt on your shoulders, just to run away _again. _It's true that they're gone, but they will live on. No matter how hard you try, they will stick to every past memory and drag you down. Carrying these burdens is what makes you stronger. Run, cling to life, and hold onto those feelings of hatred; it'll be the most vivid emotion you will ever feel in your life. Hatred will become the only thing driving you forward and making you stronger."

He looked up to check her expression. She went silent, seeming to be contemplating the weight of his words. A part of him was at ease for finally being able to get his point across, and rest of him hurt. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his hands as if the pain would wash away the memories flooding in. He suddenly wished that she would start ranting her worthless opinions again.

Hinata took in a deep breath, exhaled it, then drank more of the bitter coffee. Nope, it still tasted disgusting. "Since you're the saner one here, do _not _delude yourself with your hatred. Loathing the hell out of someone does not make you stronger. Hard work makes you stronger. Hatred is only a flammable source of motivation. Bottom line is: _s__tay in the village. _That's all I ask of you."

For hell's sake, what was even the point of talking about their feelings if that's all she wanted? They got extremely off-topic. This is really embarrassing, actually. He wasn't even thinking about leaving the village. His mind has been clear of it ever since they got back from the mission. It's obvious that he's better off staying, lest he be teacher-less, alone, in need of food and shelter, _and_ a criminal. But while they're making demands...

"I'll stay if you re-claim your title as heiress of the Hyuuga clan."

She was glad she hated the coffee, otherwise she would be choking on it right now. "A-At the condition I'm in _now? _That's impossible. That's an unfair demand."

He rolled his eyes as she got up to dump the coffee in the sink. _Weak._ "Obviously, not now. I'll help you."

She should have threatened to kill someone. Sadly, it was a good deal. There's no deadline, she can keep watch on him, _and _she could actually make some real progress in her training. She sat back down at the table. "Why do you care about me taking control of the clan?"

_Taking control_. She makes it sound so evil, like this was some evil plot to assassina... Wait, yes it is. "It's easier for you to kill your father and cover up his death when you have more power."

She told him that she didn't care about revenge anymore, yet here he is still talking about her short-lived ambitions. "Why would you care, Uchiha boy?"

Apparently, the only reason she'll accept is greed. Not that her cynical views are wrong. "Because, _Hyuuga girl_, an influential ally that's head of one of the Four Noble Clans can find a way for me to track down Itachi and kill him."

She didn't correct him. There's only Three Noble Clans now. The fact that he remembered that on his own stabbed him in the guts.

"Are you saying that I'll be able to _weasel _a path towards your _weasel _brother _Itachi?_"

God.

Fucking.

Damn it.

He proceeded to storm out of his own apartment. _Deal's off, and so am I. _

* * *

><p>Attempting to train with Hinata was... <em>okay. <em>Sasuke set low standards for her, considering he broke her wrist, she had narcolepsy and low self-esteem, neither of them got enough sleep last night, and the only motivation for her to keep her eyes open was to keep him in the village. Plus, it was already a given that she was below average since she was already dismissed as a candidate for Hyuuga heiress.

It was strange finally realizing that she didn't live up to his original expectations of her. He didn't dare express his disappointment, since she has already told him a million times that her fighting was shitty.

But hey, at least she was even trying. A lot of people would have given up by now. He acknowledged her for that. She may not be giving her all, but he was okay with only receiving some. This is the kind of sappy bullshit that he wanted to avoid, but every step she took is an accomplishment.

Her reluctance to take a break showed just how determined she secretly was, despite her insistence that she was hopeless. It was clear just how much she needed the break when she fell asleep as soon as she sat down.

He sat down a few feet away from her. It has been more than twenty-four hours since he has last slept and he felt no symptoms of drowsiness. The Curse Mark is supplying him with endless energy. He could feel it burning at his neck, begging to be unleashed. He didn't know whether to burn chakra or not. If he did, it could eventually tempt him into using more and more chakra until he lost control. If not, the chakra could build up in his body and also make him lose control. What if there was no right choice?

He has to sleep eventually. His body needs it. But it's hard when you have to but can't.

Sasuke opened up his water bottle, taking a long drink. Last night was a shock to him. He didn't expect her to show up at his doorstep wailing that she was narcoleptic. He felt like he should have, though. They managed to fill in a lot of plot holes: the mental illnesses, her dynamic personality, Itachi using genjutsu on her, and even their tentative future. Except she was insinuating that someone was dying for equality. Or already died for.

He didn't think to ask about it at the time. Some kind of root problem is still lingering in her mind, un-addressed and slowly taking control of her like a wisteria vine—suffocating her, invading, and soaking up the sun. She might even be dreaming about it at this moment.

It's not like he envied her for it. Being able to sleep so much, that is. The Uchiha was much better off than her. Staying conscious of the world around him was burden, but it's better that way. He had the energy and willpower to perform the tasks he needed to do. So what if he'll crash later? This artificial sugar high is worth every calorie.

"_Heeeey,_ Hinata!" Kiba called out. Akamaru barked, as if to echo these words.

Oh Kami. Kami, Kami, Kami, would he _shut the fuck up? _Is there really any _fucking _reason to be that loud? It's not even noon yet. What an asshole, to have the audacity to let the entire village hear his wretched voice? It sounded like nails against a chalkboard to Sasuke. Him and his dog should be put to sleep immediately.

"She's right here, dumbass. Now hang yourself with your vocal chords," Sasuke answered.

Kiba approached the Uchiha with a glare. Akamaru growled. "What's got _your_ thong in a knot?"

"At least I even know how to tie a knot. You should be sent back to the shelter."

Hinata woke up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Sasuke-kun, Kiba-kun... Please. Don't fight." _Insomnia leads to irritability. _

Sasuke scowled at her. "Easy for you to say, since you've lost the will to change anything if it means you'll end up getting hurt. You're only hurting yourself more by refusing to stand up for yourself."

Kiba rose a fist. "Don't _talk _to her like—"

Hinata stood up, interrupted her teammate. "You're right, Sasuke-kun. I'm sorry. I have no right to tell you not to fight, since you're fighting enough for the both of us. I admire that. I've never said this to anyone except Naruto-kun before, but you should never change. The way you are now is beautiful. You, Sakura-san, and Naruto-kun are all very alike. You're all a team of fighting dreamers. I'm really jealous."

Sasuke instantly shut up and looked away from her. She either said that with extreme sarcasm or extreme sincerity. Meaning she was being passive aggressive with him. He smirked. "I'm gorgeous. I know. Pick you up at eight?"

Hinata covered her mouth, concealing her lighthearted smile. "Naruto-kun was right when he said the only way you knew how to get a girl's attention was to get her wet."

She took Kiba's hand and ran before Sasuke understood the pun.

* * *

><p>"That was <em>flirting<em>."

She was spacing out. "E-Eh?"

"Flirting. You. With Sasuke."

"Oh. He was joking."

Joking? Kiba knew that Hinata could be painfully oblivious, example being _all _the times someone has ever tried to hit on her, but... Actually, no. It made perfect sense why she thought he was joking. Still, the hints of a blooming romance were strong. "Either way, you're awfully obsessed with Team 7..." He acted as offended as he could. "Our team not good enough?"

She stayed quiet. To lay it out in better terms: Kurenai's team has the best sensor-nin, Guy's team has the best taijutsu-users, Asuma's team has the best teamwork. But Kakashi's team is special. Team 7 is the protagonist team; the team with the most potential, danger, and problems. Hinata couldn't help _but _keep an eye on them.

She sighed. All she can do is pacify or aggravate. Like the coward she is, she doesn't give out her opinions easily. Unless it's 11 P.M. and and anxiety is ripping her apart because she just got into a fight with Neji. But she was right when she said there was nothing worth dying for. Much less equality.

People that sacrifice their lives for a noble cause only do it to feel self-satisfaction. To come to terms with their own death, the whole "Since I'm going to die, I might as well die doing something cool." It doesn't matter whether you choose to die or not; either way, you're gone.

But... do they still count as heroes, anyway? Legends? Tall tales to be told to the next generation?

_"It's true that they're gone, but they will live on."_

She is definitely sewing that onto a pillow. How can she not? That quote is perfectly pillow-worthy. _  
><em>

"...Hinata? _Hinata! _What the hell! You traitor! You really _do _want to be in the same team as those idiots, _don't you?_" He was only joking about her wanting to be on Team 7, but he really did feel like Hinata was a traitor. He should have been on her side during the mission. It should have been harder to think of her as a traitor, but it wasn't.

She chose to pacify him. "I'm sorry. I only said those words to him because I wanted you two to stop fighting. You, Akamaru, and Shino-kun are the best teammates I could ever ask for."

Her apologies sounded robotic. She did mean it, but her eyes were lackluster. It was obvious that dealing with him was just another chore for her. She was too polite to do otherwise, but why? Why does she let herself be hurt instead of taking care of herself? _Except she probably was trying to take care of herself by napping before I woke her up... _But she should tell him outright that she's tired instead of attempting a half-ass facade.

Kiba sighed. "I'm calling in sick for you. Get some rest, okay? We'll be gossiping about you in the meantime."

Hinata thanked the gods. "I love you, Kiba-kun." She didn't know a better way to show gratitude other than to confess a platonic love for him. She promised to herself that she would repay him one day. Someday. Maybe never.

"Uhh... sure? No hetero."

She laughed, silently noting to steal that joke later. "No hetero," she promised. _  
><em>

He walked on without her. As soon as he turned away, she collapsed to the ground and instantly fell asleep with the idea of dating Sasuke Uchiha sloshing around in her mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Did everything make sense? I feel like it didn't flow well enough. Do you want a summary? <strong>**Whatever, whatever... **

**Make sure to review! I mean, I gave you two decent chapters and some romantic implications. Please? **

**Until next time! **


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